Moluccan Cockatoo
Cacatua moluccensis
CLASS: Aves
ORDER: Psittaciformes
FAMILY: Cacuata
SIZE:
20 inches; tail is short and the body is larger than most cockatoos
RANGE:
Moluccan Islands of Indonesia
HABITAT:
Forests and woods
DIET:
Wild - Fruits, nuts, and seeds
Zoo - Bird diet, parrot mix, and biscuits
DESCRIPTION:
Major coloring is white with salmon pink color showing through; Large crest is raised flashing rich salmon pink color when the bird is excited. It can signify anger, anexity, or even high spirits.
Beak is black
Eyes of female are brownish burgundy; eyes of male are black.
Has a bushy appearance because of the longer, broader feathers; borders on shagginess because it frequently ruffles its feathers for a good shaking.
FACTS:
Powerful voice, destructive beak
Are considered a nuisance on coconut plantations where the cockatoos chew through the outer layer of young coconuts to feed on the soft pulp and sweet milk inside.
Social birds; form life long pair bonds and flocks can be seen in trees laden with ripe fruit.
Diurnal-at night they sleep in high leafless branches
In Europe this bird is mainly called a Salmon Crested Cockatoo and its frequently called the Rose Crested Cockatoo. Cockatoos are supposedly the longest lived birds with the record being 69 years, only to be equaled by a raven.
YOUNG:
2 - 3 eggs incubated for 30 - 31 days
Birds reach sexual maturity at 4-5 years
|
