Citron-crested Cockatoo

## About

A citron-crested cockatoo in captivity

Citron-crested cockatoos ***(Cacatua citrinocristata)*** are the smallest species of yellow-crested cockatoos and can be identified by their orange plumage. Citron-crested cockatoos are most commonly characterised by their orange crests and ear patches which differ from the yellow plumage of the common Sulphur-crested cockatoo ***(Cacatua galerita)***. Other than this difference, both species white body, face and tail feathers as well as black bills which curve and taper at the end. Each cockatoo species has noticeably exposed skin around their eyes which appears white or light grey on citron-crested cockatoos, but occurs in a variety of colours depending on the species. Males and females do not particularly differ in appearance, with both sexes having the same plumage but different eye colours. The citron-crested cockatoo can grow to 30-32.5cm (12-13in) in length and can weigh up to 360-425g (12.6-14.9oz).

## Diet

Citron-crested cockatoos are majority granivorous, meaning they feed most prolifically on seeds, grain matter and nuts. The cockatoos will also supplement their diets with fruits, berries or even sometimes insects.

## Conservation Status

The citron-crested cockatoo is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. This classification is largely due to the cockatoo's significance in the caged-bird trade. Citron-crested cockatoos were trafficked heavily for their profitability in the pet trade, where the birds would be wild caught in Indonesia and sold internationally. This trade stopped in 1994 due to stricter poaching laws however, trading may have continued until 2002 before ceasing entirely. During the mass trapping of the cockatoo a lot of its native environment was being deforested to make way for agricultural settlements. The deforestation in the area seems to be at an accelerating trend, damaging more of the cockatoo's native range as citron-crested cockatoos depend on large trees in order to nest in.

## Range and Population

Cockatoos are often thought of as an Australian exclusive species however, the citron-crested cockatoo is not native to Australia. The citron-crested cockatoos actually lives on the island of Sumba located in the Lesser Sunda islands, Indonesia. Sumba is a heavily forested island that is covered almost entirely by dense jungles and rainforests, in which the cockatoos live on the outskirts of. Due to the heavy deforestation in the region and on Sumba, citron-crested cockatoos are shrinking in population at an alarming rate, with the IUCN estimating only 800-1,320 individuals occur in the wild. This steep decline is almost entirely attributed to the caged-bird trade that was not out right controlled and stopped until after 2002. The exact amount of birds captured and sold by this trading is extremely hard to pin-point, seeing as the cockatoo changed taxonomically after being labeled as its own separate species as opposed to a subspecies. Despite these difficulties, it has been widely estimated that by the year 1989 1,300-3,000 birds were in transit from Sumba annually. During the 1980s and early 1990s (prior to 1994) the citron-crested cockatoos faced their largest decline going from 12,000 individuals to their present population.

## Behaviour

Cockatoos are normally social birds travelling in pairs, the citron-crested cockatoo is no different travelling in small flocks, and in captivity appreciate active interactions with their human owners and if this socialising is not kept often a cockatoo will develop destructive behaviours. In the wild citron-crested cockatoos see old trees as their perfect homes and breeding grounds. These cockatoos prefer to live exclusively in the knots, forks or premade nests of dead or rotting trees, where they will lay their eggs. Breeding occurs from September to May on Sumba.

### Relationship with Humans

Due to the rampant deforestation on Sumba, citron-crested cockatoos are forced closer and closer to human agricultural settlements of grain, corn and rice crop. This increased human interaction has lead to the cockatoos being regionally considered pests for their consumption of the crops that are grown in the area. Unfortunately hunters will often take matters to their own hands, shooting and killing birds they deem as pests.

## In Captivity

After 1994 the export of wild birds from Sumba was prohibited, the keeping of wild birds in household settings has become much less common. Cockatoos will now require a CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) in order to be recognised as a captive bred individual. If the CITES is obtained and in an official state, citron-crested cockatoos will often go for around $3,000-$4,000 on the exotic pet trade. Citron-crested cockatoos are often housed in zoos across Europe and Asia, in institutes such as Belfast Zoo, Moscow Zoo, Tierpark Berlin, Hai Zoo and Paphos Zoo. However, no zoos in the USA currently exhibit citron-crested cockatoos, this is because of the laws that actively prohibit the export of wild born cockatoos from Sumba.

## Sources

* IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/200296433/201545199
* Citron-Crested Cockatoo | SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment - https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/citron-crested-cockatoo/
* Citron-Crested Cockatoo | The Spruce Pets - https://www.thesprucepets.com/citron-cockatoos-390564
* Citron-Crested Cockatoo | ZOO INSTITUTES - https://zooinstitutes.com/animals/sumba-less-sulphur-crested-cockatoo-280/
* CITES - https://cites.org/eng