Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, Cacatua leadbeateri

The Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, Lophocroa leadbeateri, is a medium-sized cockatoo restricted to arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia. The Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo requires semi-dry habitats and extensive woodlands, particularly favouring Eucalyptus. Major Mitchell’s are usually seen in pairs, or flocks with other cockatoos.

Main characteristics

The Major Mitchell’s length ranges from 33 to 40cm, with an average weight of 480 grams. With its soft-textured white and salmon-pink plumage and large, bright red and yellow crest, it is generally recognised as the most beautiful of all cockatoos. Its most prominent feature is its large white-tipped crest that is banded in red and gold.

The Major Mitchell has always been a popular bird in aviculture and it is part of many private and public collections. However, it is not very common as a pet, as it is hard to tame and very expensive.

Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, Cacatua leadbeateri

Facts:
How are they? Their body length averages from 33 to 40cm and their approximate weight is 480g. Their plumage is soft-textured and white on the upper part of the body and salmon-pink on the underpart. The Major Mitchell’s most prominent feature is its large white-tipped crest that is banded in red and gold.
Where do they live? Open woodlands and semi-dry regions, with clear preference for Eucalyptus.
How is the species geographically distributed? Mid-western Australia.
What do they feed on? Seeds, fruit, berries, nuts, flowers and roots, but also invertebrate larvae.