Photo: Jim Bendon from Karratha, Australia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Parrots

Palm Cockatoo

Probosciger aterrimus

Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) — Parrots & Cockatoos of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Indonesia Birds of the Philippines Birds of Thailand Birds of Queensland

By family

Parrots, Cockatoos & Allies of Australia Parrots, Cockatoos & Allies of Indonesia Parrots, Cockatoos & Allies of the Philippines Parrots, Cockatoos & Allies of Thailand Parrots, Cockatoos & Allies of Queensland

See what's near you right now

The Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) is a member of the Cacatuidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 841 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Psittaciformes
Family Cacatuidae Cockatoos
Genus Probosciger
Species aterrimus

Where it lives

New Guinea and satellites, and far northern Australia

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 841 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Cacatuidae
Order: Psittaciformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Critically Endangered

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Palm Cockatoo is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Palm Cockatoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) is a species of bird in the Cacatuidae family, part of the order Psittaciformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea and satellites, and far n Australia.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 841 g, with a wing length of about 34.4 cm and a tail of around 22.9 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 716,000 km².

Songs & calls

Palm Cockatoo — Call

Recorded by Sam Hambly Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Palm Cockatoo?

The Palm Cockatoo is a large bird that weighs around 841 g.

Where does the Palm Cockatoo live?

The Palm Cockatoo is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Guinea and satellites, and far n Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Palm Cockatoo belong to?

The Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) belongs to the Cacatuidae family, in the order Psittaciformes.

What does the Palm Cockatoo eat?

The Palm Cockatoo is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Palm Cockatoo migrate?

The Palm Cockatoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Palm Cockatoo endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Palm Cockatoo make?

1 real field recording of the Palm 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 Palm Cockatoo's range?

The Palm Cockatoo has a mapped global range of about 716,000 km².