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Description of the 10 Different Types of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos

Moluccan's

Lesser's

Galah's

1.  GREATER SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOO
     Cacatua galerita galeria

        Ranges from 20-22 inches in length
        White body plumage
        Pale yellow ear coverts
        Strong yellow shadings under the wings and tail
        White eye ring
        Head appears too small for its body
        From Australia

3.  TRITON COCKATOO
     Cacatua galerita triton

     Crest feathers are broader than C. galerita galerita,                    
           and dividend into 3 major sections
           (hence the name triton)
     Light blue eye ring
     White body plumage
     No ear patch 
     Yellow suffusion under the wings and tail
     Head appears to be in proportionate with body size
     From New Guinea

2.  FITZROY GREATER SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOO
     Cacatua galerita fitzroyi

       One - Two inches smaller than C. galerita galerita
       Less yellow on the ear coverts and under wings and tail
       Very pale blue ring around the eye
       Much broader beak than C. galeria galerita
       Named after the Fitzroy River in Northern Australia

4.  ELEONORA COCKATOO
     Cacatua galerita eleonora

       Often referred as a "Medium" Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
       About 3 inches smaller than C. galerita galerita
       White body plumage
       No ear patches 
       Yellow shading under the wings and tail
       Beak similar to C. galeria galeria (in that it is not too large)
       From Aru Islands off Indonesia

5.  LESSER SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOO
     Cacatua sulphurea sulphurea

       White plumage as a young bird
       Around 8 - 10 yrs, yellow diffusion occurs over entire body
       Underside of wings and tail feathers get brighter
               yellow with age
       11 - 13 inches in length
       One of the larger lesser sulphur-crested
       Whitish eye ring
       Crest is narrow and bright yellow
       Bright yellow ear patch
       Crest tends to curve forward at the tip
       Beak is large compared to body size
       From Celebes and Butung

6.  ABBOTT'S LESSER SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOO
     Cacatua slphurea abbotti

         Largest of the lesser sulphur-crested
         Pale yellow ear coverts
         Literally no yellow suffusion on the breast and neck feathers
        13 - 14 inches in length
         From Solombo Besar Island in the Java Sea

7.  CITRON-CRESTED COCKATOO
     Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata

       Orange Crest
       Orange ear coverts
       General plumage is white
       14 15 inches in length
       Some yellow diffusion under the wings and tail feathers
       White eye ring
       Crest tends to curve forward at the tip
       Often can be sexed by eye color before 1 yr old
       From the Island of Sumba in the South Pacific

8.  DJAMPEANA LESSER SULPHUR-                CRESTED COCKATOO
     Cacatua sulphurea djampeana

          9 - 10 inches in length
          Yellow ear coverts
          General plumage is white
          Bright yellow diffusion under the wings and tail feathers
          Shades of yellow occur over the body on adults
                   (much like the C. sulphurea sulphurea)
          White eye ring
          From the Lesser Sunda Islands 

9.  OCCIDENTAL LESSER SULPHUR-                  CRESTED COCKATOO
     Cacatua sulphurea occidentalis

         11 - 13 inches in length
         Pale yellow ear coverts
         Almost entirely white
         Little to no  yellow suffusion under the wings and tail feathers
         Same as C. sulphura abbotti, just smaller
         Found mainly on Lombok Island next to Bali 

10.  TIMOR COCKATOO
                   Cacatua sulphurea parvula

                  Has a very small beak
                  Very similar to C. sulphurea occidentalis in color
                               (C. sulphurea djampeana also has a small beak but has
                               more yellow suffusion, particularily under the wings
                               and tail)
                  Generally white body
                  Pale yellow ear coverts
                  Little to no  yellow shading anywhere else on the body
                  From Timor