![]() ![]() Of the offspring, only 23% of their chicks live until they fledge. They're losing habitat due to poor fire management and ongoing land-clearing, but they also have extremely low breeding rates, with females laying a single egg every two years. In Australia they only live on the Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland, where they face a perfect storm of threats and vulnerability. Palmies, as we call these charismatic birds, hail from an ancient lineage on the parrot evolutionary tree. There are concrete ways to protect these magnificent, elusive birds by conserving habitat and their all-important breeding hollow trees, by reintroducing cool burns (including unburnt areas), and finding out more about these special parrots. They could all but disappear from Australia in our lifetimes. Given the current population is estimated at just 3,000 birds, it is likely to drop to as low as 150 birds. Our analysis predicts a severe decline from 47% to as high as 95% over the next half-century. These birds often end up in rescues waiting for adoption by a new owner.This week, the Queensland government moved this species-also known as the goliath cockatoo-onto the endangered list, due to our research on palm cockatoo populations over more than 20 years. Many people buy these birds and then realize they don’t have the resources or time to care for them. A captured, wild bird will not make a good pet.Ĭonsider adopting a cockatoo from a rescue organization. When purchasing an exotic bird make sure you are buying from a dealer who acquired the bird legally. These birds do not breed well in captivity. You’ll need to provide a healthy diet, toys, a large cage or aviary, and visits to an avian veterinarian. Cost is often $15,000 and up.īut the initial cost is only the beginning. If so, will the noise of a cockatoo annoy your neighbors?īecause they are rare, these birds can be expensive to purchase. You need to be sure your condo or apartment allows exotic pets. Taking care of an exotic pet requires much thought and preparation. Their diet is rather specific and can be costly.Ī Few things to consider before buying a Palm Cockatoo They can’t be kept alone for over eight hours a day. They need to be out of their cage for at least two hours a day. Like most cockatoos they will need space to fly. It is also considered to be one of the best talkers of the cockatoos. As Petsĭue to its unique appearance the Palm cockatoo is popular as a pet. On the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species the Palm Cockatoo is shown on the Least Concern category. It takes many years for these types of woodlands to develop even when conservation efforts are in place. These are often cleared for development or destroyed by fires. Loss of habitat is a growing concern for the Palm Cockatoo as well as many other cockatoos. Their breeding success is considered very low but is somewhat offset by their long life span. Parents care for chicks for many months after they hatch. These birds lay only one egg every two years which means their numbers increase very slowly. The Palm cockatoo is unique in that it is the only cockatoo that it uses branches to build a platform in its nest. It is unknown exactly how long they live in the wild but it’s estimated to be an average of forty years. The oldest confirmed age of a Palm Cockatoo in a zoo is fifty-six though stories are told of one living to a much older age of eighty. This allows it to hold nuts against the upper part of the beak with its tongue while the bottom part of the beak breaks it open. Unlike most other cockatoos, the upper and lower mandibles of the beak do not meet. The large beak of the palm cockatoo is used to break open many types of nuts and seeds. Usually only two to six are seen feeding together. The male then breaks the stick apart and uses it as nesting material. This makes the palm cockatoo one of the few birds known to use tools. Another theory is that the female listens for the sound of the drumming on the tree and thus decides if the tree is suitable for nesting. One reason for the drumming could be to mark the territory and thus discourage other birds from attempting to nest in that tree. One unique behavior of this bird is that the male will take a stick and use it as a drum on a tree before nesting in the tree. The palm cockatoo makes a variety of calls some of which sound like human syllables. ![]() The beak of the male is larger than the female. It has a large crest and one of the largest beaks of any cockatoo. It is one of the largest cockatoo species in Australia the only rivals being the yellow-tailed black cockatoo and the sulphur-crested cockatoo which are equal in size. When full grown they are around twenty-three inches long and weigh about two and a half pounds. Its plumage is mostly black but can also be a dark gray. The red will become more apparent when the male is threatened. The palm cockatoo has a large black beak and patches of red on its cheeks. ![]()
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