Yellow-crested Cockatoo

[Harvey Perkins <>]

Hi David

This picture and associated speculation was the subject of debate on BirdingAus back on 19 March 2014 - see archives at http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/birding-aus/ 

I agree with Con, the likelihood is overwhelming in my opinion that this is not a Sulphur-crested but a Yellow-crested or other closely related species from Indonesia. The Yellow-crested occurs not only in Timor but also Sulawesi and the lesser Sundas. There is every possibility that one of these made its way to Venice, which monopolised the spice trade in Europe from 1200 to 1500. This from Wikipedia page on the Maluku Islands: 

"By trading with Muslim states, Venice came to monopolize the spice trade in Europe between 1200 and 1500, through its dominance over Mediterranean seaways to ports such as Alexandria, after traditional overland connections were disrupted by Mongols and Turks. The financial incentive to discover an alternative to Venice's monopoly control of this lucrative business was perhaps the single most important factor precipitating Europe's Age of Exploration."

I don't think there is the remotest chance of definitively determining the actual identity of the cockatoo in the painting - the detail just isn't there.

Harvey

On 13 May 2014 18:39, Con Boekel <> wrote:

This is the bird I was thinking of:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-crested_Cockatoo

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