Some cool names for animals images:
Burleigh Heads_50_020810
Image by Michael Dawes
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is one of the most easily recognized birds in Australia. With its strident call and brilliant white feathers, it is a common sight throughout open timbered country in the eastern and northern parts of the country.
Here at Billabong Sanctuary we would like you to meet Jacko, a female who has been with us for many years. She can usually be seen on her perch beside the Koala Crescent , and will appreciate a friendly word and happily pose for a photo.
What’s in a Name?
The scientific name Cacatua galerita means ‘capped cockatoo’. Kakatua is the Indonesian word for a cockatoo, and the species name derives from the Latin galer meaning cap, referring to the bright yellow crest. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are members of the Psittacidae family of birds, or the ‘true’ parrots. All have stocky bodies, medium-sized wings, strong, hooked beaks, and feet with two forward-facing and two backwards-facing toes.
What do they Look Like?
These birds really are unmistakable. Their all-over brilliant white plumage is visible from many kilometres away, silhouetted against distant hills or outlined against the horizon . Among the largest of our parrots, they can reach half a metre in length (18 inches).
The other distinctive feature is the long, recurved crest of bright yellow feathers.
The crest seems to reflect the bird's emotions. When it is excited or alarmed, the feathers are fully extended, reaching far forward over the bird's head. A bird at rest, or one which doesn’t feel well, will have its crest feathers flattened against the back of its head.
A less obvious feature is the subtle wash of pale yellow colouring along the cheeks and ear coverts, and on the underside of the wing and tail feathers. The yellow colour can be seen when the bird is silhouetted in flight against the sky-- kind of a lemon meringue pie effect.
Like all parrots, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo has a powerful beak; the beak is black, but appears grey because of the powdering of white dust used for grooming its feathers. A bird with a shiny black beak is generally unhealthy, possibly a victim of psittacine beak and feather virus. The feet are also dark grey with black claws. As in all parrots, there are two forward-facing toes, and two rear-facing toes.
Males and females look alike; only up close and in strong light can it be noticed that the eye of the female has a lighter, reddish-coloured iris. Males have very dark brown irises. From a distance, eyes of all birds look black. Males have slightly larger heads, and stand taller than females, but the birds have to be seen in pairs for this difference to be noticeable.
Burleigh Heads_48_020810
Image by Michael Dawes
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is one of the most easily recognized birds in Australia. With its strident call and brilliant white feathers, it is a common sight throughout open timbered country in the eastern and northern parts of the country.
Here at Billabong Sanctuary we would like you to meet Jacko, a female who has been with us for many years. She can usually be seen on her perch beside the Koala Crescent , and will appreciate a friendly word and happily pose for a photo.
What’s in a Name?
The scientific name Cacatua galerita means ‘capped cockatoo’. Kakatua is the Indonesian word for a cockatoo, and the species name derives from the Latin galer meaning cap, referring to the bright yellow crest. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are members of the Psittacidae family of birds, or the ‘true’ parrots. All have stocky bodies, medium-sized wings, strong, hooked beaks, and feet with two forward-facing and two backwards-facing toes.
What do they Look Like?
These birds really are unmistakable. Their all-over brilliant white plumage is visible from many kilometres away, silhouetted against distant hills or outlined against the horizon . Among the largest of our parrots, they can reach half a metre in length (18 inches).
The other distinctive feature is the long, recurved crest of bright yellow feathers.
The crest seems to reflect the bird's emotions. When it is excited or alarmed, the feathers are fully extended, reaching far forward over the bird's head. A bird at rest, or one which doesn’t feel well, will have its crest feathers flattened against the back of its head.
A less obvious feature is the subtle wash of pale yellow colouring along the cheeks and ear coverts, and on the underside of the wing and tail feathers. The yellow colour can be seen when the bird is silhouetted in flight against the sky-- kind of a lemon meringue pie effect.
Like all parrots, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo has a powerful beak; the beak is black, but appears grey because of the powdering of white dust used for grooming its feathers. A bird with a shiny black beak is generally unhealthy, possibly a victim of psittacine beak and feather virus. The feet are also dark grey with black claws. As in all parrots, there are two forward-facing toes, and two rear-facing toes.
Males and females look alike; only up close and in strong light can it be noticed that the eye of the female has a lighter, reddish-coloured iris. Males have very dark brown irises. From a distance, eyes of all birds look black. Males have slightly larger heads, and stand taller than females, but the birds have to be seen in pairs for this difference to be noticeable.
Burleigh Heads_60_020810
Image by Michael Dawes
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is one of the most easily recognized birds in Australia. With its strident call and brilliant white feathers, it is a common sight throughout open timbered country in the eastern and northern parts of the country.
Here at Billabong Sanctuary we would like you to meet Jacko, a female who has been with us for many years. She can usually be seen on her perch beside the Koala Crescent , and will appreciate a friendly word and happily pose for a photo.
What’s in a Name?
The scientific name Cacatua galerita means ‘capped cockatoo’. Kakatua is the Indonesian word for a cockatoo, and the species name derives from the Latin galer meaning cap, referring to the bright yellow crest. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are members of the Psittacidae family of birds, or the ‘true’ parrots. All have stocky bodies, medium-sized wings, strong, hooked beaks, and feet with two forward-facing and two backwards-facing toes.
What do they Look Like?
These birds really are unmistakable. Their all-over brilliant white plumage is visible from many kilometres away, silhouetted against distant hills or outlined against the horizon . Among the largest of our parrots, they can reach half a metre in length (18 inches).
The other distinctive feature is the long, recurved crest of bright yellow feathers.
The crest seems to reflect the bird's emotions. When it is excited or alarmed, the feathers are fully extended, reaching far forward over the bird's head. A bird at rest, or one which doesn’t feel well, will have its crest feathers flattened against the back of its head.
A less obvious feature is the subtle wash of pale yellow colouring along the cheeks and ear coverts, and on the underside of the wing and tail feathers. The yellow colour can be seen when the bird is silhouetted in flight against the sky-- kind of a lemon meringue pie effect.
Like all parrots, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo has a powerful beak; the beak is black, but appears grey because of the powdering of white dust used for grooming its feathers. A bird with a shiny black beak is generally unhealthy, possibly a victim of psittacine beak and feather virus. The feet are also dark grey with black claws. As in all parrots, there are two forward-facing toes, and two rear-facing toes.
Males and females look alike; only up close and in strong light can it be noticed that the eye of the female has a lighter, reddish-coloured iris. Males have very dark brown irises. From a distance, eyes of all birds look black. Males have slightly larger heads, and stand taller than females, but the birds have to be seen in pairs for this difference to be noticeable.
