wvenable@spam.ua.oz (Bill Venables) (07/19/90)
In article <26A4B6E5.12DB@intercon.com> kdb@macaw.intercon.com (Kurt Baumann) writes: > >The Washington DC zoo has two Palm Cockatoos which they are >"breeding". These birds (appendix 1) are on display, and are >subjected to all of the traffic passing by. Cockatoos are not easy >to breed [even] when they are given lots of room and privacy... > This is a side issue, I know, but are Palm Cockatoos really on the endangered list? I have made three trips to Cape York (Northern Australia) in the last few years and I have had no difficulty in finding them, regularly, and in quite a few different places, on all three occasions. I can think of many endangered species much more in need of a captive breeding programme, (unless it is simply to discourage bird smuggling). BTW the other large psitticaform bird much in evidence on Cape York is the Eclectus parrot, which I suppose is fairly well known in captivity. -- Bill Venables, Dept. Statistics, | Email: wvenable@spam.ua.oz.au Univ. of Adelaide, South Australia. | Phone: +61 8 228 5412
root@cs.su.oz (Deus ex Machina) (07/20/90)
In article <342@spam.ua.oz> wvenable@spam.ua.oz (Bill Venables) writes: >This is a side issue, I know, but are Palm Cockatoos really on the >endangered list? I have made three trips to Cape York (Northern >Australia) in the last few years and I have had no difficulty in >finding them, regularly, and in quite a few different places, on all >three occasions. I think the Australian population of Palm Cockatoos would probably be classified as vulnerable due to their very limited range. I'm not certain of this and it may be one of many birds whose status is being reviewed (by the ICBP?). I don't know what the status of populations in other countries is. You don't have to be (already) endangered for CITES to prohibit trade, for example the African elephant is on list 1. You can get a false impression of the abundance of conspicuous birds whose habitat is limited - you visit prime habitat and you see them every time but their population may be very small. (I don't if this applies to Palm Cockatoos as, sadly, I haven't been to Cape York). There was an interesting report in the last year or two of Palm Cockatoos (on Cape York) drumming with sticks on hollow branch. I can't remember if a purpose was suggested (territorial?, courting?). I belive this was the first observation of an animal using a tool for noise making. This fits with some physiologists who believe birds, particularly parrots and corvids are much more intelligent than had been thought. I heard one suggest that some parrots would rank ahead of many mammals in terms of intelligence. Andrew