Three species occur in both New Guinea and Australia. Interestingly, no cockatoo species are found in Borneo (despite their presence on nearby Palawan and Sulawesi) or many Pacific islands, although fossil remains have been recorded from New Caledonia. Eleven of the 21 species exist in the wild only in Australia, while seven species occur only in the islands of the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. On average they are larger than other parrots however, the Cockatiel, the smallest cockatoo species, is a small bird.Ĭockatoos have a much more restricted range than the true parrots, occurring naturally only in Australasia. Their plumage is generally less colourful than that of other parrots, being mainly white, grey or black and often with coloured features in the crest, cheeks or tail. Ĭockatoos are recognisable by the showy crests and curved and strong bills. The name cockatoo comes from the Malay name for these birds, kaka(k)tua, via the Dutch kaketoe. Along with the Psittacoidea ( true parrots) and the Strigopoidea ( New Zealand parrots), they make up the order Psittaciformes (parrots). Lua error in a at line 80: module 'Module:Taxonbar/exists' not found.Ī cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Probosciger Callocephalon Nymphicus Calyptorhynchus Eolophus Lophochroa CacatuaĬurrent range of cockatoos – red Finds of recent fossils – blue

Cockatoo red