# White-Crested Cockatoo (*cacatua alba*) The White-Crested Cockatoo is a beautiful bird with a striking white body and a cheerful crest on its head. These friendly birds love to socialize and can often be seen playing with their friends in the trees! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** They live in the tropical forests of Indonesia and nearby islands. - **Also known as:** Indonesian Cockatoo ![White-Crested Cockatoo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/White_cockatoo_%28Cacatua_alba%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bramans, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_cockatoo_%28Cacatua_alba%29.jpg) ## Appearance The White-Crested Cockatoo has striking pure white plumage across its body, with a large, elaborate backward-curving crest on its head. When raised, the crest reveals a pale yellow or orange-yellow underside, contrasting with its dark grey beak and legs. These features make it distinctly beautiful. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Psittaciformes - **Family:** Psittacidae - **Genus:** Cacatua ## Interesting facts - Their crest moving up or down can tell you exactly how they are feeling. - These smart birds have been observed using simple tools in the wild! - They are known to engage in rhythmic 'dancing' to music! - White-Crested Cockatoos can live for many decades, often longer than humans! ## Special abilities - **Powder Power:** White-Crested Cockatoo has special 'powder down' feathers that produce a fine dust to keep its plumage clean and waterproof. - **Crest Communicator:** White-Crested Cockatoo can raise or lower its prominent crest to signal emotions like excitement, fear, or curiosity to others. - **Super Strong Beak:** White-Crested Cockatoo has an incredibly powerful, curved beak that helps them crack open the toughest nuts and seeds. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 45-50 cm - **Wingspan:** 80-100 cm - **Weight:** 0.4-0.8 kg - **Lifespan:** 40-60 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-3 - **Incubation:** 28-30 days ## Diet & Feeding These omnivores enjoy a varied diet of delicious seeds, nuts, fruits, and even tiny insects. - **Primary Foods:** Seeds, Nuts, Berries, Fruits, Larvae, Insects - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Reticulated Python](https://www.snappit.app/explore/reticulated-python) (*Python reticulatus*) — Young cockatoos or eggs are sometimes prey for large snakes. - **Eats:** Betel Nut Palm (*Areca catechu*) — Feeds on the seeds and fruits of various native palm trees. - **Eats:** Weeping Fig (*Ficus benjamina*) — Consumes the fruits from fig trees found in its forest habitat. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-Crested Cockatoo? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is White-Crested Cockatoo? 45-50 cm ### What is White-Crested Cockatoo's wingspan? 80-100 cm ### How much does White-Crested Cockatoo weigh? 0.4-0.8 kg ### How long does White-Crested Cockatoo live? 40-60 years ### How fast can White-Crested Cockatoo move? 50 km/h ### What does White-Crested Cockatoo eat? These omnivores enjoy a varied diet of delicious seeds, nuts, fruits, and even tiny insects. ### Where is White-Crested Cockatoo usually found? They live in the tropical forests of Indonesia and nearby islands. ## Where to spot - [Tierpark Zabakuck](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-zabakuck) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Zoo ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [White-Crested Cockatoo: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-crested-cockatoo)