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Palm Cockatoo - New!

Palm Cockatoo
probosciger aterrimus

Length: 49-68cms/19-27 inches
Weight: 500-1100* grams
Life span: 60+ years
Incubation: 30-33 days
Age at weaning: 18+/- weeks
Age at maturity: 4-6 years
Natural habitat: Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

The Palm Cockatoo frequents the Cape York Peninsula in Australia's Northern Territory.   There are also three subspecies.  There is the p.a. aterrimus from Northern Australia, the largest is p.a. goliath from the Papua Islands and the p.a. stenolophus from New Guinea.  Palm Cockatoos are usually seen in pairs but, occasionally, they are found singly or in groups of five or six.  They inhabit tropical rainforests and during the day can be found roosting close to food or near water, being such a large bird they need large trees for nesting and roosting.  The Palm Cockatoo is endangered, they are listed CITES Appendix 1, this is mainly due to the loss of nesting sites due to deforestation and forest fires.

Their diet consists of nuts, fruit, berries, seeds, leaf buds and, it is thought, insects and their larvae.  They have also been observed ground feeding on the large seeds left after fallen fruit has rotted, or been eaten by other birds and animals.  Their strong beaks easily crack these hard seeds, it is also thought that they eat seed that has passed through Cassowaries, it is believed that this softens the seed.

They nest in cavities in large trees but first they will have to compete with many other birds, and animals, to secure a nest.  They will then line their nest with strips of vegetation, usually eucalyptus and willow, until it is to their liking.  A normal clutch is one egg and, once hatched, the chick will not emerge from the nest for around 100-110 days.  Once fledged the chick will depend on his parents for a further six weeks and they will remain a family unit until the following breeding season.  When breeding the male is very spectacular, he will display his feathers by stretching his wings to their full height, he will then approach the female bowing with his crest erect.  During the whole of the courtship he will emit loud whistles.

The Palm Cockatoo is a very large bird, second only in size to the Hyacinth Macaw, and they are mainly black with a large backward curving crest.  Their most prominent feature is the red of their bare facial area, this can vary in colour appearing paler if the bird is stressed or ill and brighter when excited or in breeding condition.  Like all Cockatoos they have powder down, this can cover their massive black beak and their plumage dulling the colour.

Interesting fact:  The Palm Cockatoo will use a stick to drum on a hollow log or branch.  This sound can be heard echoing through the rainforest, whether it is a signal to other Cockatoos or it is to proclaim territory isn't known. 

*Females usually weight between 500-950 grams and the males between 540-1100 grams

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