(Greater) Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
There are two species of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, the Greater Sulphur-crested, often called just the Sulphur-crested, and the Lesser Sulphur-crested (lower down page),
also called the Yellow-crested. The latter is smaller and has stronger yellow cheek patches. Both have several subspecies with slightly different appearance.
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo comes mainly from Australia. The nominate subspecies may have a slight yellow blush to the cheek and has a very pale blue or white eye-ring.
Male and female have similar plumage. They are common in urban and rural eastern Australia (the two above in a Sydney park).
Shown above is the Triton subspecies, Cacatua galerita triton, native to New Guinea and adjacent islands.
It has a stronger pale blue eye-ring. The nominate Australian Sulphur-crested is larger, some 55 cm length.
The Triton is some 45 cm length, as is the Medium Sulphur-crested subspecies (C. g. eleonora).
Triton Cockatoo with pale blue eye-ring.
Nominate Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in downtown Sydney.
Very pale yellow under-wing and under-tail.
Triton Cockatoo with crest raised.
Nominate Greater Sulphur-crested with pale lemon crest raised.
The pale yellow under-wing.
The Medium Sulphur-crested subspecies (C. g. eleonora), above, also called the
Eleonora Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, is native to Indonesia's Aru Islands.
Eleonora can also have pale blue eye rings.
Eleonora Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
Lesser Sulphur-crested/ Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea
The Yellow-crested Cockatoo confusingly has the scientific name Cacatua sulphurea, although it is also called
the Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
It is smaller than the Sulphur-crested at 35 cm length and has a slightly darker yellow crest and yellow patches on its white cheeks.
The Yellow-crested Cockatoo is native to Indonesia and East Timor. Male and female have similar plumage.
This is the nominate subspecies.
The "Two-horned Goat Cockatoo"!
One of the other subspecies (shown above/below) is called the Citron-crested (Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata)
but actually has an orange crest. It is also known as the Orange-crested.
"Is that the time?"
The smallest of the Yellow-crested subspecies, the critically-endangered Orange-crested Cockatoo is native to Sumba Island and the lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia.
"I've got a chip on my shoulder. - Well, let's not understate it - I've got a great big chip on my shoulder."
The adult female has an orange (red-brown) iris and the adult male and juveniles (under 1 year) have black irises.