Medium Sulphur Crested [Elenora] Cockatoo: Looks, Diet, Breeding, and Behavior

Medium sulphur Crested Cockatoos are a sub-species of Sulphur Crested cockatoo, also known as Eleonora Cockatoo. They are medium-sized white parrots, and they are native to Aru Island. This Island is in the province of Maluku in Eastern Indonesia. They have graceful white plumage with a yellow tinge on their underwings and the tail side.

The prominent yellow crest on their head is the most distinguished feature of them. Medium Sulphur Cockatoos are very intelligent parrots; in fact, all sulphur Cockatoos and their subspecies are very quick learners and responders. They are highly demanded pets and well-known parrots in Aviculture.

Medium Sulphur Crested [Eleonora] Cockatoos are a subspecies of Sulphur Crested cockatoos. They have a beautiful appearance like Sulphur Crested Cockatoos have. In this article, their Appearance, Diet, Behaviors, Breeding, and Conservation status will be discussed thoroughly.

Medium Sulphur Crested [Eleonora] Cockatoo:

Eleonora Cockatoos ( Cacatua Galerita Elenora) are known as Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, but they are the smallest subspecies of four of the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos ( Cacatua Galerita). They are very well known for their learning abilities. 

According to Biologists, their learning capabilities are mostly similar to the mental abilities of a human child of 1 to 2 years. They can mimic the sounds of animals as well as humans, which is quite interesting. They are mainly found on the Islands of Indonesia.

These parrots are very sharp among all but also emotionally complex. They are very sensitive to emotions. They have sharp vocals during calls and shrill cries.

Scientific Classification of Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoo:

• Scientific Name:   Cacatua Galerita Eleonora
• Common Name:  Eleonora Cockatoo
• Second Name:  Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoo
• Order:  Psittaciformes
• Class:  Aves
• Phylum:  Chordata
• Kingdom:  Animalia
• Genes:  Cacatua
• Species:  C.Galerita
• Family:  Cacatuidae
• Subspecies:  C. G Elenora

What Does Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos Look like?

Medium Sulphur Cockatoos look very charming because of their beautiful white feathered body. These parrots have a size of about 44 cm (17 inches), and their weight is up to 404 to 602 grams. They have graceful White Plumage and Prominent Yellow crest on their heads.

Their crests are less curved, and they do not have pointed upper mandibles. They have strong beaks, which are small in size. They are small but strong enough to crack the nuts and seeds. The beak is hooked and Black in color.

Eleonora Cockatoos have prominent small eye rings which are light blue in color. There is a yellow diffusion throughout their body, and they have yellowish-orange color markings which are under their wings and crest. They have a pale yellow patch near their ear. 

The males and females have minor differences like: the males are slightly greater in size and have a darker bill. Their gender identification can be difficult for new cockatoo keepers.

These parrots have a Bald patch behind their crest. Their feet are Zygodactylous (Two toes are pointed forward, and the other two toes are pointed backward). They are dark Black in color.

Where Do Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos live?

Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoos are native to Aru Island, which is in the province Malaku. This province is in Eastern Indonesia, and they move to the places where they get a suitable environment. They really like green vegetated areas and wild forests with watercourses. 

Their Population is also found in Woodland forests and semi-arid forests. They like greenery and trees because they get food from them. These parrots are also found in grasslands, scrubs, and forests.

Their species has been introduced in the Kai Islands, and Biologists conserve them for their protection. Here these parrots are getting proper care.

Size and weight of Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoo:

Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are adorable, medium-sized parrots. The size of these parrots is about 44 cm (17 inches), and their weight is 404 to 602 grams.

Vocals of  Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoos:

Medium Sulphur cockatoos are very noisy parrots, and they make very Raucous (loud) calls which are very distinctive. They produce these calls when they are in Alarming Situations (danger) or annoyed. During their flight, they produce loud calls and communicate with their fellows. 

. They can mimic vocals, sounds of animals and humans and can learn many words and phrases. They are also good at making whistling sounds. 

Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoos as Pets:

Cockatoos are always very gentle, social, and affectionate pets. Medium Crested Cockatoos are very intelligent and highly interactive pets, and they are quick responders to actions. They are very quick learners, and they get trained very well after training by their owners. 

Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoos are monogamous (they stay with the same mate) lifelong. They seem to be very affectionate birds because of their quality of monogamy.

Many of these parrots are well adapted to European settlement, and they are highly demanded as a pet.

They are very cute small parrots, and they are also called snowballs by many people. An interesting fact about these parrots is, they have very excellent learning abilities. They can mimic vocals, sounds of animals and humans.

 One medium Sulphur Crested Parrot was demonstrated recently that is capable of beat induction. These parrots can dance on the beat when it is played. They are very talkative pets that try to mimic the words as well as the sounds of the same person.

These parrots are emotionally complex, and they really get attached to their owner. They have some behavioral issues like most of the parrots have. Sometimes they behave very nicely and on the other minute, they are annoyed.

Breeding Behavior of Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoos:

Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are affectionate and intelligent parrots, and they mate for life. Their Breeding season starts from September to January. They are friendly parrots, and they are often seen as Preening and feeding each other. 

They are Monogamous in nature, and they form pairs and are often seen with their mates and flocks. They make holes for nesting in trees or rock crevices. Mostly both male and female parrots make their nests. The behavior of male parrots changes during the breeding season.

They tend to behave more aggressively, and female behavior is normal. The average clutch size of the female Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoo is about two to three eggs.  The female parrot incubates the egg for 30 days, and the chick fledges 75 days after hatching. 

What Does Medium Sulphur Cockatoos Eat?

They eat almost everything as they are omnivores. But their diet mostly consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. They really like nuts and seeds, and they crack the nuts with the help of their beak. They eat grain and fresh fruits from their favorite palm tree. These parrots are also like flowers and flower buds.

They really like Fresh Berries among all fruits. They also eat insects from the holes of the trees, but in captivity, their diet is not like in the wild. In Captivity, they want a varied diet, and they love to eat fresh, high-quality pellet food. Their diet must be prepared very well because parrots often suffer from malnutrition.

 They like fresh vegetables and fruits but never give you parrot Advogados and Apple seeds because they are very harmful to them. Giving a proper and healthy diet to your pet is very important for their development and growth.

 A healthy diet affects their feathers’ growth, learning power, and behavior, etc. While eating, they intake some toxic seeds which have harmful chemicals. 

These smart parrots can detoxify these chemicals.

 They ingest mineral riched clay known as Clay Licks, which protect them from toxic chemicals. These chemicals are bound with clay in their digestive system, and it protects them from toxins.

The lifespan of Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoo:

In the life span of Medium Sulphur Crested [Eleonora] Cockatoo, they have different population trends in captivity and in the wild. Their lifespan in the wild is about 60 to 65 years. If they have been adequately cared for in captivity, they can live up to more than 65 years.

Cost of  Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoo:

Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoo is a Medium-sized white parrot. They have beautiful plumage and unique crests, making them different from other parrots. The cost of an adult Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoo is about $3,000, and the cost of a tamed adult is $4,500. A hand-feed is $15,00, and a self-feeding baby cockatoo’s cost is $2,200. These are beautiful parrots, and people prefer them as pets.

The population of Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoo:

These graceful Medium Sulphur Crested [Eleonora] Cockatoos are endangered species. Their total population is about 2,500 to 10,000. These parrots, which are left now, are under several protection programs.

Conservation Status of Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoo:

According to IUCN, these birds are listed in the Red List of Endangered species. Once they were very good numbers of the popultion but now they are declining. They are extremely intelligent parrots, and people really prefer to keep these parrots as pets. 

Parrots from this species have been introduced in the Kai Islands, and Biologists conserve them for their protection. Here these parrots are getting proper care without the fear of being captured and hunted, which are the main threats to them. Let’s discuss these threats and how they are producing negative consequences.

Factors of Endangerment of Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoos:

There are several factors of endangerment of Medium Sulphur Crested cockatoos. These parrots have faced threats like illegal bird trade, colonization, deforestation, habitat destruction, poaching, and hunting. They are continuously losing their habitat due to human activities.

Hunting of Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos:

Medium Sulphur Cockatoo are very charming, their white plumage and attractive yellow crests make them more eye-catching. These parrots often become the victim of Hunters’ hunting. Hunters hunt to get their meat, and they pluck their feathers for sale purposes.

 Due to their unique feathers, they often get captured by the locals and hunters. Due to excessive hunting, they are now on the Endangered list.

Habitat Loss Of  Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos:

Every parrot has been facing habitat loss since the 190s. With the development of the world, man is also consuming more lands and woods for their survival. Their Population is found in Woodland forests, grasslands, scrubs, forests, and semi-arid forests of Islands of Indonesia. They like greenery and trees because they get food from them. These forests are woodlands that are under destruction due to human activities. Humans are utilizing the woods for living and grazing livestock purposes. In this way, their natural habitat is moving to decline, which can be an important factor for their endangerment. 

Illegal Pet Trading of Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos:

These beautiful Eleonora Cockatoos have attractive white feathered bodies with expressive crests. These unique features can attract anyone. Hunters and pet traders also get attracted because of their beautiful and unique features. 

These parrots are very eye-catching, so they often get preyed on by hunters and pet traders. These parrots often become the victim of Illegal pet trading, and it is a significant threat to them.

 Due to illegal Pet trading, the number of Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoos is decreasing, leading them to enter the IUCN Red List. The ecosystem in the wildlife is also disturbing because of their decrease because these birds eat in a very messy way and spread nuts everywhere, which stabilizes the growth in the wild by these nut seeds.

Eleonora Cockatoo is the subspecies of Sulphur Crested Cockatoo:

Medium Sulphur Crested [Eleonora] Cockatoo is the subspecies of sulphur Crested Cockatoo. These are the smallest subspecies, among four. Their gorgeous white plumage and the prominent yellow crest is their similarity with Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, and it’s all subspecies.

These parrots have many similarities with Sulphur Crested cockatoos and differences too. They have small sizes, and they are more intelligent than other subspecies of Sulphur Crested cockatoos.

Conclusion:

Medium Sulphur Crested [Eleonora] Cockatoo is the smallest subspecies of sulphur Crested cockatoos. They are the beautiful white feathered parrots, which are very famous for their intelligence. The level of their intelligence has been explained above.

They are very talkative, intelligent, and emotionally complex parrots, which makes them different from other parrots. They can dance on the beat spontaneously, which shows their mental ability to respond to things.

Their qualities, appearance, diet, breed, and lifespan are discussed above to help you learn about these parrots more effectively.