Range:

Southern Moluccas, Indonesia

Habitat:

Coastal areas and coconut plantations

Characteristics:

Plumage is pale salmon-pink with the undersides of the backward-curving crest a deep salmon-pink. The undersides of the flight feathers are washed with a deep salmon-pink. The bill and legs are grey-black.

 

Behavior:

Considered a pest in coconut plantations, these cockatoos attack you coconuts, chewing through the outer layers to get at the 'milk' and soft pulp. They make a loud, quavering cry and a shrill screech. The flight consists of a few rapid wingbeats followed by gliding and then another few wingbeats. The salmon-crested cockatoo is a popular bird in captivity, yet little is known of its habits in the wild.

Reproduction:

Very little is known of nesting behavior in the wild. Incubation is thought to be about 30 days with both parents never leaving the nest at the same time.