White Cockatoo

White Cockatoo

Cacatua alba

IUCN red list status:
Endangered

For more information, please visit iucnredlist.org

White Cockatoo

About the White Cockatoo

White Cockatoos, also known as Umbrella Cockatoos, are large parrots with white feathers and black or brown/reddish eyes, and dark gray legs and beaks. The "umbrella" name is due to its backward-bending, broad crest, which opens up like an umbrella and fans out. When lowered, the feathers of the crest fold back over the bird's head and so the crest is then hardly visible. 

These cockatoos have some lemon coloured plumage on the underside of their wings and tail, and this colour flashes when they fly. Males and females both have a pale blue ring around their eyes, males having a dark brown iris and females having a reddish iris. Females also usually have smaller heads and beaks than males.

Did you know?

When surprised, the cockatoo will extend its backward-curving head crest, similar looking to an umbrella shape, hence the name.