They are also intelligent and very curious. They are very noisy birds, with a loud raucous call that can be heard for long distances. Even though they may travel long distances to forage, they return to the same roosting area at night.

These birds are most active immediately following sunrise. Little information is known about mating in areas other than Australia. The young fledglings will remain with their parents for a number of months after fledging. Incubation of their clutch of two to three eggs lasts from twenty-five to twenty-seven days, with both parents sharing incubation duties and raising the nestlings for the next nine to twelve weeks. Typically a bed of wood chips makes up their nest. This species competes with other birds for nesting sites generally in a high tree hollow. The birds typically preen each other’s feathers prior to mating. The courtship ritual includes crest raising, head bobbing, and moving the head from side to side in a figure eight pattern while uttering soft chattering sounds. In northern Australia the breeding season is from May to September, and in southern Australia from August to January. This species reaches reproductive maturity at three to four years of age and breeds once a year in Australia. They will also eat newly planted and ripening grain crops. These birds will feed on the ground and in trees, eating mainly nuts, fruits, seeds, blossoms, insects, and insect larvae. Sulpher-crested cockatoos are 18 to 20 inches tall (45 to 50 centimeters). Males have darker brown eyes and females have red tinted brown eyes. Males and females are similar in appearance. Its feathers are pale yellow under the wings and on the tail. This large white bird has a distinctive sulphur yellow-colored crest that may be erected or folded down on the top of their head. It can also be found in urban and suburban areas in parks and gardens. Sulphur-crested cockatoos live in tropical and subtropical rainforests and savanna areas. It has been introduced in New Zealand, Palau, and Singapore. This species is found in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and nearby islands. The Aquarium’s sulphur-crested cockatoo Lola (a male) is one of the ambassador animals that participate in meet-and-greets at various locations around the Aquarium, including regular appearances at the Pacific Visions entrance. SPECIES IN DETAIL Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo

Sulfur crested cockatoo plays peekaboo