Salmon-Crested Cockatoo
Place to admire: Tropical Paradise & China
Scientific name: Cacatua moluccensis
IUCN-status: Endangered
Habitat
The Salmon-Crested Cockatoo is found in the Moluccas, including Ceram, Haruku and Saparua. This bird species lives in a tropical climate in lowland rain forests.
Appearance
The Salmon-Crested Cockatoo has a white to salmon pink coloration. The crest feathers have a length of 15 centimeters. The underside of the wings and tail have a yellow-orange hue. The beak turns gray-black in color. The skin around the eyes contain a blue-white tint. The legs and feet are gray. The eyes are black in a male. In a female, the eyes are dark brown. A juvenile resembles an adult male in appearance.
Diet
The Salmon-Crested Cockatoo forages on seeds, nuts, fruits and berries. The Moluccan cockatoo attacks green coconuts. The bird gnaws off the outer layers of the coconut to get to the delicious core.
Social behavior
The Salmon-Crested Cockatoo is a social bird species. The bird lives in small groups, in pairs and also occurs solitary. When roosting, up to 16 individuals congregate.
Social interactions consist of communal roosting, allo-preening and even playing. Allo-preening means smoothing another bird’s feathers. The birds are more likely to brush each other’s head and neck because these body parts are difficult to reach.
All Cockatoo species have a crest. When the bird is upset, scared, curious or emotionally excited, the crest will raise. This then also serves as a means of communication to other birds.
Natural behavior
The Salmon-Crested Cockatoo is a diurnal bird species and needs full daylight to forage. Foraging usually takes place in the morning and during the afternoon. A foraging session lasts from half an hour to 5 hours. While foraging, the bird searches for seeds and fruits. After foraging, the Salmon-Crested Cockatoo flies to a suitable tree to “preening,” rest and interact with other birds.
‘Preening ‘ means smoothing the feathers with the beak. The Salmon-Crested Cockatoo pays much attention to the wing and tail feathers during this activity. These are very important during flight. The Salmon-Crested Cockatoo passes each feather through the beak to remove dirt and reconnect loose hairs. During “preening,” the beak often passes by the rump gland, releasing oil that gets on the beak.
After a long and dry period, rain often falls. During the rain session, the Salmon-Crested Cockatoo will perform a “rain dance. The dance consists of moving its feathers and calling out. Then the bird will hang upside down on a branch and spread its tail and wing.