Citron-crested Cockatoo
Encyclopedia
The Citron-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata is a medium-sized cockatoo
with an orange crest, dark grey beak
, pale orange ear patches, and strong feet and claws. The underside of the larger wing and tail feather
s have a pale yellow colour. The eye colour ranges from brown through very dark brown to black. Both sexes are similar.
The smallest of the Yellow-crested Cockatoo
subspecies, it is endemic
to Sumba
in the Lesser Sunda Islands
in Indonesia
. The diet consists mainly of seeds, buds, fruits, nuts and herbaceous plants.
. Its numbers in the wild have declined due to habitat loss and illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade. A 1993 survey of Sumba estimated the species' numbers at less than 2,000 individuals.[1] Together with the other subspecies of the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, it is listed in appendix I of the CITES list.[2] Consequently, international trade is strongly regulated and trade in wild caught Citron-crested Cockatoos is illegal.
s, but are curious and like to chew. They are generally quiet, but they can make a loud honking or screeching sound, which is lower in pitch than the calls of most parrots. They can also make a repetitive quieter whistling or squeaking noise. They are not as good at imitating human speech as some members of the parrot family, although they readily learn behaviors and they can be trained. They often raise the coloured crest feathers in display, when surprised, or to show interest or excitement. Their droppings are semi-solid and can be messy. As with many cockatoo species, Citron-crested Cockatoos taken as pets need much greater care and attention than other companion parrot
s. In personality, they are often more shy or nervous than other cockatoos and should be allowed to adjust to new circumstances gradually in order to become comfortable.
They are not commonly seen in pet stores, but are becoming more popular with breeders.
Cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...
with an orange crest, dark grey beak
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
, pale orange ear patches, and strong feet and claws. The underside of the larger wing and tail feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s have a pale yellow colour. The eye colour ranges from brown through very dark brown to black. Both sexes are similar.
The smallest of the Yellow-crested Cockatoo
Yellow-crested Cockatoo
The Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua sulphurea, also known as the Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo with white plumage, bluish-white bare orbital skin, grey feet, a black bill, and a retractile yellow crest. The sexes are similar...
subspecies, it is endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to Sumba
Sumba
Sumba is an island in eastern Indonesia, is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of 11,153 km², and the population was officially at 611,422 in 2005...
in the Lesser Sunda Islands
Lesser Sunda Islands
The Lesser Sunda Islands or Nusa Tenggara are a group of islands in the southern Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up the Sunda Islands...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The diet consists mainly of seeds, buds, fruits, nuts and herbaceous plants.
Conservation status
The Citron-crested Cockatoo is critically endangeredCritically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
. Its numbers in the wild have declined due to habitat loss and illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade. A 1993 survey of Sumba estimated the species' numbers at less than 2,000 individuals.[1] Together with the other subspecies of the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, it is listed in appendix I of the CITES list.[2] Consequently, international trade is strongly regulated and trade in wild caught Citron-crested Cockatoos is illegal.
Aviculture
Being friendly and sociable, hand-reared Citron-crested Cockatoos can make good pets. They are not as noisy as most cockatooCockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...
s, but are curious and like to chew. They are generally quiet, but they can make a loud honking or screeching sound, which is lower in pitch than the calls of most parrots. They can also make a repetitive quieter whistling or squeaking noise. They are not as good at imitating human speech as some members of the parrot family, although they readily learn behaviors and they can be trained. They often raise the coloured crest feathers in display, when surprised, or to show interest or excitement. Their droppings are semi-solid and can be messy. As with many cockatoo species, Citron-crested Cockatoos taken as pets need much greater care and attention than other companion parrot
Companion parrot
Companion parrot is a general term used for any parrot kept as a pet that interacts abundantly with its human counterpart. Generally, most species of parrot can make good companions....
s. In personality, they are often more shy or nervous than other cockatoos and should be allowed to adjust to new circumstances gradually in order to become comfortable.
They are not commonly seen in pet stores, but are becoming more popular with breeders.