palmcockatoos

Palm Cockatoo

(probosciger aterrimus)

sub species P.a. aterrimus, P.a. goliath, P.a. stenolophus

majestic, beautiful, God given

proboscis - Greek for nose aterrimus - Latin for very black

Above photo by Warwick Remington, Ballarat, Australia©

Distribution and Habitat:

Palm Cockatoos are native to the Cape York Peninsula, Northern Queensland Australia.. Also New Guinea and the Aru Islands of Indonesia.
They were listed as a CITES Appendix 1 species in 1987.

Photo above Palm Cockatoo Country

courtesy www.budgieworld.com

The Palm Cockatoo is the largest Australian Parrot and it is the only black cockatoo without a band across the tail. It is also the only cockatoo whose upper mandible and lower mandible do not fit together, making visible the red, black tipped tongue. The red cheek patches also have the capability to change colour, as they do in Macaws. Becoming a deeper red when excited or alarmed.

They were exported in great numbers during the 1970's from Indonesia via Singapore. Despite being CITES Appendix 1, this continued until 1989 when Singapore also became a party to CITES.

Although the Palm Cockatoo was exported in great numbers and this would have depleted the wild populations greatly, it is sadly a fact that they are still extremely rare in aviculture, with very few breeding. What happened to all the birds exported? Sadly also, dead through lack of knowledge about diet, health, accommodation etc.

Successful breeding of the Palm Cockatoo in the wild is still fairly uncommon. Not many chicks actually hatching out and surviving to fledging. One of the main causes of egg and chick 'disappearance' are predators such as lizards and snakes. It is thought even other Palm Cockatoos may be responsible for such losses, as there is rivalry for suitable nesting hollows

They do only lay one egg at any one time. Incubation period is 33 days and the young will stay in the nest for approximately 80 days (10 weeks).

They are territorial and the males in the wild have been seen on many occasions drumming the top of a hollow log with a stick. It is thought that this drumming also maintains pair bonding. These birds are monogamous and pair for life. Joe Forshaw states in Australian Parrots (third revised edition) that he has not witnessed this drumming in captive males. Suggesting that the confinement of aviaries depletes the territorial displays and thus possibly inhibit breeding. However, I have seen a captive Palm Cockatoo many years ago in the collection of renowned UK parrot breeder Harry Sissen drumming the perch. Whether this was a territorial display or not is unclear.

They nest mainly in eucalyptus trees (amongst others) and their diet is varied consisting of various seeds, nuts, berries, fruits and probably insects. Pandanus fruits are a favourite of the Palm Cockatoo. A ripe pandanus fruit is orange and resembles a large pineapple.

Robert Lynn, Australian avicuturist was the first breeder on record to produce parent reared young from a pair in his collection in Sydney during 1968. Stand Sindel also Australian aviculturist, states he is convinced that this first recorded breeding to produce parent reared young, was also the world's first actual captive breeding.

These birds are quite rightly, not available to most. Being extremely expensive where they are available, They also require extensive spacious aviaries and a specialist diet.

References: Australian Cockatoos Stand Sindel & Robert Lynn; Australian Parrots (third revised edition) Joe Forshaw, Parrots - A guide to parrots of the world Tony Juniper, Mike Parr

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