[rec.birds] Info on Cockatoo breeding habits in the wild

kdb@macaw.intercon.com (Kurt Baumann) (08/29/90)

At risk of getting flamed...  I would like to get some information that someone
in this group ought to have.

Does anyone know of any studies/observations done in the wild about cockatoos
(of any type) in regards to thier breeding habits, time of year, preferred
nesting sites, diet during breeding, etc?  Actually similar information about
any Parrot would be welcome.  Papers, text books, anything at all.

Does anyone know how to go about getting infomation on what papers are published
in other countries?  (perhaps I should post this question to rec.library
:-))

Thanks in advance for your help.
--
Kurt Baumann
703.709.9890
703.709.9896 FAX

andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor) (08/29/90)

In article <26DAA31B.145B@intercon.com> kdb@macaw.intercon.com (Kurt Baumann)
writes:
>Does anyone know of any studies/observations done in the wild about cockatoos
>(of any type) in regards to thier breeding habits, time of year, preferred
>nesting sites, diet during breeding, etc?  Actually similar information about
>any Parrot would be welcome.  Papers, text books, anything at all.

I imagine that the basic reference would be "Parrots of the World" -
Joseph Forshaw, Landsdowne(1978). There may be a more recent edition.
Its doesn't go into great depth but covers every parrot. The illustrations
are beautiful. There are, of course, a number of aviary-oriented books.

I expect most Cockatoos have not been studied in detail. There is still
a lot of work to do in Australian ornithology and I expect even more
left to do in Indonesia.

The only detailed study I can think of on cockatoos was done
by the CSIRO (Australian govt. research organisation) On Galahs.
I don't know where the results were published. Searching the "Emu"
the Royal Australian Ornithologist Union (RAOU)'s journal would be good.
A big uni. library might have it.

Given they occupy habitats ranging from tropical rainforest to arid woodland
there is probably great diversity in habits among cockatoos.

Just to make you jealous, some cockatoos are backyard birds in Australia.
Galahs, Gang-Gangs, Sulpur-Crested and Yellow-Tailed Black cockatoos
all visit my parents backyard regularly. The Yellow-Tailed Blacks with their
1m(+?) wingspan and whistled screech are particularly impressive. They love
the rock hard pinus radiata (monterey pine?) cones ripping them apart and
tearing off sizable branches in the process. You can keep your hummingbirds :-)

Andrew 

mm@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Mike Mahler) (08/29/90)

	
	Couldn't send you mail.  Try sending to me and I'll give
	you address of a friend who lives in Australia and raises
	Cockatoos (and race horse and dogs and...).  

	Michael  uunet!lectroid!mm

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