Species
Cacatua galerita
Common Name(s)
Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Family
Cacatuidae
Habitat
Sulphur-crested cockatoo occur in New Zealand in watersheds and around urban areas.
During the breeding season these social birds live in pairs or in groups of small family groups, spending most of their time high in the trees. They generally build their nests in tree hollows and hollow tree limbs.
They are herbivorous and mainly feed on berries, seeds, nuts and roots, bark and ocassionally insects .
Description
Sulphur-crested cockatoo are large, white parrot with yellow crest, yellow wash on the underside of the wings and a grey to black bill. Sexes are very similar but can be distinguish by their eye colour, which is red-brown in females and dark brown in males.
Threat To Plants
Feeding on preferred plant species and competition with native bird species may alter species regeneration and vegetation composition
Distribution
Main population near Turakina and Rangitikei Rivers (Wanganui) and between lower Waikato and Raglan River. Small populations elsewhere (e.g. Canterbury)
Measurements
Weight; 900g; body length: 50cm
Year Introduced
1920s
Reason For Introduction
Pet
Colonisation History
First introduced to New Zealand as cage birds but since the 1920s some have been escaped or been deliberately released.