Lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo

Cacatua sulphurea

The lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo is native to Sulawesi, Timor and other Sunda Islands. It lives in open areas with scattered trees, farming land and edges of forests from sea level up to mountainous areas of over 500 metres in height. It nests in holes in trees and is now in serious danger of extinction due to over-capturing for use as a pet.

Natural habit

Sulawesi, Java, Timor and adjacent islands

Lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo
  • Distribution / Resident
  • Breeding
  • Wintering
  • Subspecies

Risk level

  • Extint
  • Extint in the wild
  • Critically endangered
  • In Danger
  • Vulnerable
  • Near threatened
  • Minor concern
  • Insufficient data
  • Not evaluated
Critically endangered

Taxonomy

Class
Aves
Order
Psittaciformes
Family
Cacatuidae

Physical characteristics

350 g
Birth Weight:
33 cm
Up to 40 years

Biology

Habitat
Forest
Social life
Gregarious
Feeding
Frugivorous

Reproduction

Gestation
27
Days
Baby
2 to 3

Discover how they are

Biology

Description

The sulphur-crested cockatoo is a bird in the Cacatua family—in the same order as parrots and macaws, Psittaciformes—that is characterised by its bright white plumage, although the crest, erectile and quite large, is yellow, as well as the ventral area of the tail and cheeks.

Habitat

It primarily inhabits forests and open fields up to altitudes of 1200 metres on the islands of Sulawesi, Timor and the Sundas.

Feeding

It mainly eats seeds and fruits.

Reproduction

The breeding season starts in September or October, although very little is known of this aspect of its biology. It builds its nest in holes in trees, padding it with plant matter, where it lays two or three eggs that both the male and female incubate for a period of some 27 days. With regard to its breeding biology, this has only been determined due to specimens in zoos.

Conduct

The breeding season starts in September or October, although very little is known of this aspect of its biology. It builds its nest in holes in trees, padding it with plant matter, where it lays two or three eggs that both the male and female incubate for a period of some 27 days. With regard to its breeding biology, this has only been determined due to specimens in zoos.

Status and conservation programs

It is critically endangered. Formerly common and quite well rooted in its islands of origin, the indiscriminate capture of specimens for private collections and the pet trade has caused a sharp drop in this species’ numbers, estimated at fewer than 7000 in freedom.