Sunflower cockatoo (Sulphur crested Cockatoo) is very beautiful in appearance, but people with sunflower crested cockatoo who are not familiar with it will not think it is a parrot at first sight. Because the bird body color of this parrot is very light and white, and the most important thing is that it has yellow crown feathers on the top of its head. When angry, the crown of the head stands up in a fan shape, like a blooming sunflower, which is very beautiful.

Chinese name: Sunflower cockatoo

Chinese alias: Sunflower cockatoo

English name: Sulphur crested Cockatoo

Binary name: Cacatua galerita

Kingdom: Animalia

phylum: Phylum Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Subclass: Neornithes

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Cacatuidae

Subfamily: Undergraduates are also usually placed under the generalized Parrotidae as the subfamily Cacatuinae.

Family: Cockatoo family Cacatuini

Species: Sunflower Cockatoo

Distribution: North, East and South Australia and Tasmania

The sunflower cockatoo has a body length of 40-50 cm, a weight of 815-975 grams, and a life span of 80 years. [1] With well-developed crown feathers, it can move. Body feathers are mainly white. There are yellow crown feathers on the top of the head. When disturbed by the outside world, the crown feathers stand up in a fan shape and can reach a length of 14 cm, like a blooming sunflower. Sunflower cockatoos are both male and female, and it is impossible to distinguish males and females from their plumage. Males have black irises, females brown. The insides of the wings and tail are pale yellow, and the bill and feet are black or dark gray. The color of the crest of the sunflower cockatoo varies with the place of origin. There are 4 subspecies, the difference is the size of the body and the size of the beak. Three of them are white eye circles, while the sunflower cockatoo Fitzroy subspecies is blue. colored eyes.

The mouth is thick and strong, the upper mouth is hooked downward, the edges are notched on both sides, and the base is waxed. The connection between the upper mouth and the skull is like a hinge and can move freely. The base of the mouth has a wax film, the tongue is fleshy and soft, with a horny spoon-shaped end. The wing shape is slightly pointed, the legs are short and strong, there are four toes on the feet, and there are two toes on each side, called the anti-toed type. The claws are sharp and curved, suitable for climbing trees.

Sunflower cockatoo usually live in groups, often in groups of hundreds, and will They are scattered into small groups, usually foraging on the ground, some will be alert in the trees, pay attention to whether there is danger, when there is a dangerous situation, they will warn their foraging companions, they often make loud and hoarse calls when flying, and sometimes they will Foraging in crop areas causes serious agricultural losses and is regarded as a pest bird. In some areas, farmers are allowed to hunt sunflower cockatoos with broken crops, and some people hunt them for their beautiful feathers. Feather powder is more, need regular bathing. Noisy bark, crowns erect when angry.

It doesn't need to be too complicated about raising sunflower cockatoos, just like other parrots. But it should be noted that when you raise a sunflower cockatoo, you should be alert to his boredom, urgency, anxiety, etc. When encountering these problems, they may pluck their feathers.

Artificial feeding should use metal cages or metal racks, with metal food cans and water tanks on both sides of the rack. It is advisable to use mixed seed and nut feed as the main food in the diet, and it should be fed with vegetables and fruits frequently. Do not be like many parrots who lack knowledge or are lazy and irresponsible bird traders and a few bad breeders who only provide a single food as the main food, such as sunflower seeds , this is very bad for their health and longevity, and with good care they are very strong birds.