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Lesser Sulfur-crested Cockatoos

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The Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, or Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea, is endemic to Lombok, Sumbawa, Noesa Penida Island in Indonesia and East Timor in Southeast Asia. There is a feral population in Hong Kong. Thus large group has apparently developed from a number of caged birds that have been released over many years.

This cockatoo is critically endangered endangered in its natural habitat where numbers have declined dramatically due to illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade. The current feral population is estimated at less than 10,000. It is, therefore, listed on Appendix I of CITES.

Description:

The plumage of ths cockatoo is all white, except for its long, forward-curling yellow crest. It has a loud and very raucous voice.

Training and Behavioral Guidance:

Cockatoos certainly demand a lot of attention, but are appreciated for their exceptionally loving, devoted personality that is second to none. Cockatoos require an extremely dedicated owner who is willing to provide significant and meaningful attention to these intelligent parrots. They require consistent training from a young age to ensure potential cockatoo owners enjoy a bird free of destructive and annoying habits. Behavioral challenges that cockatoos present include:

• Excessive Chewing: Any parrot will chew. In nature, they use their beak to "customize" their favorite tree, to enlarge the size of their nest in a tree hollow. Doing this keeps their beaks in good condition. The problem is excessive and undesirable chewing. Undisciplined cockatoos will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. The owner needs to provide plenty of "healthy" chewing opportunities (bird toys, natural wood branches, etc.) and training is necessary to teach a cockatoo what is "off-limits."



• Biting: Cockatoos, as most parrots, are likely to discover their beaks as a method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage." It really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. If this behavior is unchecked, the cockatoo is likely to be dominating the entire family, chasing and attacking their least favorite humans (usually the ones they deem to be a competitor for their human mate's affection). Training is vital to stop this destructive behavior.



• Screaming: Not everybody can tolerate the natural loud call of a cockatoo, and even though it can't (or should not) be entirely eliminated, there are ways to discourage screaming / screeching in your pet cockatoo.
  

Training and behavioral guidance will help your pet be the kind of companion you want it to be ...

• AvianWeb Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training. If you found a way to resolve a "parrot behavioral issue" please share it with others.


• If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
  
  • the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
    • Stop Biting
    • Perform Tricks &
    • Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
  • and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.

If you are considering one of these magnificent parrots as pets, please visit the following websites for information:

• Cockatoo General Information



• Procuring your Parrot
  • Bird Breeders
  • Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.


• The 3 Key Elements to Keep Your Pet Bird Happy & Healthy



• Housing Your Bird



• Bird Nutrition



• Parrot Products

Taxonomy:

Genus: English: White Black-billed Cockatoos ... Dutch: Wit & Zwartsnavelkakatoes ... German: Eigentliche Kakadus ... French: Cacatoès

Species: Scientific: Cacatua sulphurea occidentalis aka Cacatua parvula occidentalis ... English: Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoos ... Dutch: Kleine Geelkuifkakatoe ... German: Kleiner Gelbhaubenkakadu ... French: Petit Cacatoès à huppe jaune de Hartert Sub-Species: sulphurea, djampeana, abbotti, occidentalis, parvula, citrinocristata

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If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!