Cockatoo

Cockatoo, common name for 17 species of birds in a family of the same order as the parrot family, found in Australia, the East Indies, and the Philippines. All cockatoos have erectile feathered crests and powerful hooked beaks. Most species are white, but some are gray, pink, or black, with bright markings. Body size of most species lies between 30 and 52 cm (between 12 and 20.5 in), with the largest of the group, the black cockatoo, reaching 67 cm (26.4 in). Cockatoos feed on vegetation, sometimes damaging crops, and are usually gregarious. Courtship involves preening and mutual feeding. They nest in a natural hollow in trees or rocks, where the female lays two to four eggs; both parents care for the young. Intelligent, generally docile, and sometimes capable of mimicking human speech, cockatoos have been popular cage birds.

Scientific classification: Cockatoos belong to the family Cacatuidae of the order Psittaciformes. The black cockatoo is classified as Calyptorhynchus funereus.