Moluccan Cockatoo
| Moluccan Cockatoo Conservation status: Vulnerable | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||
| Cacatua moluccensis (Gmelin, 1788) |
The Moluccan Cockatoo, Cacatua moluccensis, or Salmon-crested Cockatoo, is a cockatoo native to Indonesia. At 52 cm it is the largest of the white cockatoos. It has white-pink feathers and a large retractable recumbent crest. It also has a loud voice.
Status
This bird is endangered. Numbers have declined due to illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade and habitat loss. Moluccans are often referred to as the "velcro bird" because of their fondness to be cuddled. They are exceptionally adept at picking locks. This is a regal bird who's beautiful feathers seem like a royal cloak Although the bird is white, there is a definite peachy glow. The underside of the wings are a delicate lemon chiffon color. Moluccans mimic whistles and other sounds in captivity, such as the shriek of a smoke alarm or a few bars of Gershwin.
External links
- Project Bird Watch Project Bird Watch is a group of people dedicated to the study and protection of the Moluccan, and other parrots in their natural habitat in the Indonesian Islands. One of the their many projects is to encourage and develop eco-tourism as an alternative to native dwellers of the area to trapping the birds.
Categories: Bird stubs | Cacatuidae