Sulphur-crested cockatoo

Description:

With its pristine white plumage and striking, bright yellow crest, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is one of Australasia's most recognisable parrot species. The crest is erectile and can reach up to 14 centimetres in length. The undersurfaces of the wings and tail are washed with pale yellow, while the bill and feet are black and dark-grey respectively. The sexes are almost identical, except for the eye, which is brown in the male and red-brown in the female. There are four recognised subspecies of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo which are distinguished by location, as well as by differences in body size, bill size, and the colouration around the eye, which is white in all of the subspecies except for Cacatua galerita fitzroyi, in which it is blue.

Habitat:

In Australia, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos can be found widely in wooded habitats in the north and east, ranging as far south as Tasmania, but avoiding arid inland areas with few trees. They are numerous in suburban habitats in cities such as Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. Except for highland areas, they occur throughout most of New Guinea and on nearby smaller islands such as Waigeo, Misool and Aru, and various islands in the Cenderawasih Bay and Milne Bay.

Notes:

Spotted in the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Australia.