The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo can make an excellent pet, with even wild caught young birds capable of becoming affectionate and friendly birds. A tendency of the species to become overweight should be guarded against, and there are arguments for the use of pellets rather than seed for the Sulphur-crested. Animal protein is also beneficial, given by way of chicken or chop bones, mealworms or other grubs. A variety of seeds such as wheat, hulled oats, canary, and some grey striped sunflower, should be provided as well as a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruit. The mate aggression that can be a problem with some species of cockatoos seems to be rare in Sulphur-crested. The diet needs to be varied, balanced and interesting. An essential requirement is to keep a constant supply of fresh branches of eucalyptus and other native trees available to avoid boredom. A hollow nesting log over a metre long and about 35 cm in diameter should be supplied. An aviary at least 5 metres by 1.2 metres by 2 metres high is needed, constructed of materials to withstand the inevitable chewing that will occur. This is in large part because of the depressed effect on the price of any progeny caused by the ready availability of legally wild caught young birds. The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, while very commonly kept as a pet, is unfortunately relatively rare as an aviary breeding bird in Australia. Incubation is by both parents and takes about 30 days and the babies fledge in about 70 days. A deep nesting hollow, high above the ground, is preferred, with 2 or more rarely 3 eggs laid. The breeding season extends from August to January in the south and May to September in the north. For this reason the bird is regarded as a pest species in many parts of its range, and licensed culling is permitted in certain states. Their food in the wild is dominantly seed, nuts and fruit, and they can cause major damage to cultivated grain crops. When flying as a flock they will frequently call out with a loud raucous screech the noise from a flock of several hundred can be deafening. Feeding is often done on the ground, and in such situations some of the flock will be sentry birds in trees, and alert the flock if danger approaches. although when foraging for food these large flocks will often spilt into small groups, coming together again at the evening roost site. The two Australian subspecies meet around the Gulf of Carpenteria, in northern Queensland, where their ranges overlap The species is gregarious, often forming flocks of several hundreds. Introduced populations are established near Perth, in Western Australia, and in New Zealand. It is a common and widespread species, extending from Tasmania through Victoria and New South Wales to the northern most tip of Queensland, and though the northern part of the Northern Territory into the Kimberly area of Western Australia. The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is one of the icons of Australia’s birds, instantly invoking images of the Australian bush. eleonora, which are only found in Indonesia and Papua-New Guinea to the north of Australia, and are not considered here.
galerita varies from fitzroyi by having a white eye ring rather than pale blue, by having a paler yellow colour to the ear coverts, and by having shorter crest feathers. fitzroyi, from northern and north-western Australia. C. These are the nominate subspecies, Cacatua galerita galerita, which is found in eastern Australia and is the one most common in aviculture, and C. Four subspecies are recognised, only two of which are native to Australia.
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