White-crested cockatoo
The white-crested cockatoo (binomial name Cacatua alba), is a bird. It is also called the white cockatoo and the umbrella cockatoo.[1] It is one of a larger group of birds in the family Cacatuidae. Cockatoos are a kind of parrot.
The birds in this genus are outdoor birds in Australia and the islands north of Australia and including the Philippines.[2]
Appearance[change | change source]
Cockatoos have black bills made of keratin. They have black feet. The white-crested cockatoo is about 17.5 inches long.
Conservation status[change | change source]
The White Cockatoo is considered vulnerable by the IUCN. Its numbers in the wild have declined owing to capture for the cage bird trade and habitat loss.[2]\ It is listed in appendix II of the CITES list which gives it protection by restricting export and import of wild-caught birds. BirdLife International indicates that catch quotas issued by the Indonesian government were 'exceeded by up to 18 times in some localities' in 1991.[2] RSPCA supported surveys by the Indonesian NGO ProFauna suggest that significant levels of trade in wild-caught White Cockatoos still occur, with 200+ taken from the wild in north Halmahera in 2007.[3] Approximately 40% of the parrots (White Cockatoo, Chattering Lory, Violet-necked Lory and Eclectus Parrot) caught in Halmahera are smuggled to the Philippines, while approximately 60% go to the domestic Indonesian trade, especially via bird markets in Surabaya and Jakarta.[3]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Alderton, David (2003). The ultimate encyclopedia of caged and aviary birds. London: Hermes House. p. 204. ISBN 1-84309-164-X.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "BirdLife International (2011) Species factsheet: Cacatua alba". Birdlife International. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 ProFauna Indonesia (2008). Pirated Parrots Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 8 September 2011.