Major Mitchell's Cockatoo

(Cacatua leadbeateri)

Live:Interior of Australia.

Habitat: Scrublands and grasslands along waterways. Nomadic in areas of sparse water, more settled in areas of plentiful water. (Numbers declining due to clearance of mallee and scrublands.)

Diet:
In the wild: Seeds, fruit, berries, nuts, flowers and roots, particularly acacia and callitris seeds.
Damage crops, particularly wheat and cultivated fruit and nuts.
Zoo diet: Seed mix, fruit vegetables and browse. Enclosure cleaned twice weekly.

Breeding: August - December.
Nest: In a hollow tree with bark stripped off tree to line the nest.
Eggs: 2-4, incubated by both parents for 30 days. Male sits during the day and female at night.


General: Size to 35cm.
Adults: General plumage salmon pink. Crest: scarlet tipped with white and band of yellow.
White upperwings, underside slightly darker than breast. White tail, underside salmon pink.
White beak. Grey legs. Males have dark brown eyes, females have reddish pink eyes.
Juveniles: Similar to adults. Pale brown eyes.

Call: Harsh screeches when alarmed. A quavering cry.

Habits: Usually seen in small flocks or pairs. They arrive at a water source before sunrise to drink and again late afternoon. Spend most of the day feeding on the ground.
Flight is rapid wing-beats and gliding when traveling long distances. Use series of short flights when flying low.

Chicks: Young birds leave the nest 8 weeks after hatching. Form a family group with the parents.