Gourt Home::Gourt :: Umbrella Cockatoo
The Umbrella Cockatoo or White Cockatoo , Cacatua alba, is a medium-sized cockatoo endemic to the islands of Halmahera, Bacan, Ternate, Tidore, Kasiruta and Mandiole in North Maluku, Indonesia. At first sight it appears to be a white parrot with brown or black eyes and a dark grey beak. If it is surprised, it extends a large and striking crest, which has a semicircular shape (similar to an umbrella, hence the name.) The crest is normally recumbent. The underside of the wings and tail have pale yellow/lemon colour, which flash when they fly.
They can live up to, and perhaps beyond, 80 years in age. They are very social, needing a lot of interaction. They can be very loud and their calls (a very loud screeching noise) can be heard up to three miles away.
They weigh about 600gm (based on weights of two male pet birds aged about 1 and 3 years).
Feathers
The feathers of the umbrella cockatoo are mostly white. However, both upper and lower surfaces of the inner half of the trailing edge of the large wing feathers are a yellow colour. The yellow colour is most notable on the underside of the wings because the yellow portion of the upper surface of the feather is covered by the white of the feather immediately medial (nearer to the body) and above. Similarly, the larger tail feathers that are covered by other tail feathers, and the inner most areas of the larger crest feathers are yellow.
Short white feathers grow from and closely cover the upper legs.
Umbrella Cockatoos as a vulnerable species
Although the umbrella cockatoos is not classified as an endangered species it is classified as vulnerable. It numbers in the wild have declined owing to habitat loss and illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade. It is listed in appendex 2 of the CITES list of protected species. This gives it protection by making the trade of wild caught birds illegal.
Umbrella Cockatoos as Pet birds
Hand reared umbrella cockatoos can make good pets, as they are sociable, intelligent and they can learn tricks and be trained. They can imitate human speech, but generally they are not good talkers. However, they can destroy furniture with their powerful beaks, they can make a lot of loud noise and they demand a lot of care and attention. Their droppings are quite large and semisolid and can be messy. Umbrella cockatoos as pets need so much care and attention, and can be so destructive and expensive to keep, that some pet birds are often passed from one owner to the next.
References
- Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- Umbrella cockatoos as pets
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds website - threats to wild bird populations
"Umbrella Cockatoo"