It is an extremely rare event, if ever in Australia, when I am not sure as to the species of bird that I am looking at. This has just happened in my backyard in Kaleen. I sometimes throw a bit of birdseed out for the Crested Pigeons (an
ANU student working on the species colour banded many in my yard a couple of years ago). Invariably this also brings in a few Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Little Corellas – on two occasions recently also a Long-billed Corella – but the bird that joined the
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos this morning has me flummoxed! Superficially it is a S-c Cocky but bigger, especially around the head area (side by side with a S-c C) and looked similar to a White-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua alba of the Moluccas but which is slightly smaller, appears not to have a yellow crest but has yellow blotches on the head and upper chest, and a very limited amount of yellow on the underwing. It also has VERY large feet and really looks like
a S-c C on steroids. I can’t think of any other species that it can be. The Yellow-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua sulphurea of Indonesia/Lesser Sundas is smaller than the S-c C, and I don’t think a hybrid with either of the corellas would be this large.
Anyone care to comment?
Mark
