Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) — Parrots & Cockatoos of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a member of the Cacatuidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 720 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Psittaciformes
- Family Cacatuidae Cockatoos
- Genus Cacatua
- Species galerita
Where it lives
New Guinea and satellites and northern, eastern Australia and Tasmania
Quick facts
- Weight
- 720 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Cacatuidae
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Vulnerable
Critically Endangered
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a member of the Cacatuidae family, within the order Psittaciformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea and satellites and n, e Australia and Tasmania.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 720 g, with a wing length of about 34.7 cm and a tail of around 19.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo?
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is a large bird that weighs around 720 g.
Where does the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo live?
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Guinea and satellites and n, e Australia and Tasmania, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo belong to?
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) belongs to the Cacatuidae family, in the order Psittaciformes.
What does the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo eat?
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo migrate?
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo make?
1 real field recording of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo's range?
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo has a mapped global range of about 3.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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