Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
Scientific Name: Cacatua leadbeateri
Size: Total Length 35 to 40cm
What does it look and sound like?
The Major Mitchell’s is a beautiful salmon-pink and white cockatoo. When the crest is erected it reveals a dark pink-red colouration with a broad yellow band running through the centre. The male is usually bigger, while the female has a broader yellow stripe on the crest and develops a red eye when mature.In flight, the dark pink of the under-wings is clear visible. The normal contact call is a quavering two-syllable screech.
Where is it found?
It is found in the arid and semi-arid areas of inland Australia.
What are its habitats & habits?
It feeds on a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits and insects, both in trees and on the ground. Forming small flocks, occasionally in the company of Galahs, the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo inhabits a variety of wooded habitats, especially mallee and acacia.
This species features in my book Australia’s Birdwatching Megaspots
