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Cockatoos

Cockatoos are a distinctive group of parrots with prominent crests and curved bills, recognized for their less colorful plumage, usually in shades of white, grey, and black with splashes of colors like yellow, pink, or red. These birds are found primarily in Australasia, with various species adapted to a whole host of environments from rainforests to open country. The most common and smallest species, the cockatiel, has an uncertain position in the cockatoo family tree. Cockatoos generally feast on seeds, nuts, tubers, corms, fruits, flowers, and insects, often assembling in large flocks. Notoriously monogamous, they nest in tree hollows with habitat loss affecting some species' populations, while others have thrived by adapting to agricultural landscapes. Aviculture regards cockatoos as charming yet challenging pets owing to their complex care requirements. The cockatiel remains the most favored species for captivity, often thriving better than the larger white or black cockatoos. The illegal pet trade contributes to some species' declines in the wild, highlighting the need for conservation efforts. The word "cockatoo" itself originates from the Dutch 'kaketoe' and Malay 'kakatua'. In Australian slang, the term also has associations with being a lookout or a small-scale farmer. Taxonomically, they've been shuffled between full and subfamily statuses. Most are medium to large birds with strong bills and zygodactyl feet, although plumage and vocalizations can vary across species. These birds engage in complex social behaviors, including learning from one another, as evidenced by their ability to spread new skills like opening garbage bins across communities. While some species have been negatively impacted by human activities, others are prospering due to changes in the landscape and sometimes become agricultural pests - leading them to be controlled in various ways. Conservation-wise, habitat loss and wildlife trade threaten some species more than others, with several species being listed as vulnerable or endangered. The international pet trade, regulations under CITES, and domestic legislation in countries like Australia and Indonesia are just a few factors influencing the survival of these charismatic birds in the wild.

Regions

Categories

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Accentors
African & Green Broadbills
Albatrosses
Alcippe Fulvettas
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bristlehead
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies

Cockatoos

Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hylocitrea
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Ioras
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Longspurs, Snow Buntings
Magpie Goose
Megapodes
Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rail-babbler
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
Wrens
Jayshrike
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Species Categories

AccentorsAfrican & Green BroadbillsAlbatrossesAlcippe FulvettasAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAuksAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBee-eatersBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBristleheadBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHylocitreaIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIfritIndigobirds, WhydahsIorasJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLongspurs, Snow BuntingsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloughbillPloversRail-babblerRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrensJayshrike

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Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
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