Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Cacatua galerita

The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, is a large, strikingly white cockatoo adorned with a vivid yellow crest. They are a common sight in various wooded habitats across Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. These birds are known for their intelligence and adaptability, particularly in urban environments.

Identification Tips

Adult Sulphur-crested Cockatoos measure between 44 to 55 cm in length, with the Australian subspecies being the larger of the group. Their plumage is predominantly white, with a distinctive yellow wash under the wings and tail. The crest, when raised, reveals a brilliant yellow coloration. They possess a black bill, grey legs, and a pale eye-ring. Males typically have darker eyes compared to the reddish-brown eyes of females, though this is best observed under optimal conditions. Subspecies vary slightly in size, bill shape, and crest feather breadth.

Habitat

These cockatoos favor wooded areas, including tropical and subtropical rainforests, as well as urban settings where they have become quite established.

Distribution

Widely distributed across northern and eastern Australia, they are also found throughout most of New Guinea and on neighboring islands. Introduced populations exist in places such as Singapore, Palau, New Zealand, and potentially Hawaii and Wallacea.

Behaviour

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are known for their loud, raucous calls, an adaptation for communication through dense forests. They exhibit a high level of curiosity and intelligence, with some learning to forage from unsecured garbage bins. In captivity, they have been observed dancing to music. These birds can live up to 70 years in captivity, but typically live 20-40 years in the wild. They engage in geophagy to detoxify their food and produce a fine powder for waterproofing rather than oil.

Song & Calls

Their calls are loud and distinctive, serving as a means of communication within their forest habitats.

Breeding

Breeding seasons vary by region, with nests made in tree hollows lined with wood chips. They lay two to three eggs, with both parents sharing incubation duties. The nestling period lasts between 9 and 12 weeks, with fledglings staying with their parents for several months post-fledging.

Similar Species

They can be confused with corellas, which are smaller and lack the yellow crest, or with the yellow-crested and blue-eyed cockatoos in captivity, which have different crest shapes and eye-ring colors.

Diet and Feeding

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos feed on a variety of seeds, nuts, roots, berries, and sometimes insects. They have adapted to forage in urban areas and are known to consume human food waste.

Conservation status

The IUCN lists the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo as Least Concern, though they are protected under Australian law, and culling requires a government permit due to their potential pest status in some areas.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Cockatoos

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Trevarthen1
Birda fan
I really enjoy using Birda, all sightings are recorded and photos can be added. There are monthly challenges which help to get you out to record your sightings. The Birda community are great and are happy to help with unidentified bird sightings. Suitable for all ages and experience!
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.