Latin name: Eolophus roseicapillus

 

Listed in Annex II of the Washington Convention.

 

Species frequently captive with regular but not abundant breeding.

 

A social and quiet bird. A voracious eater of seeds, it devastates the crops of farmers, who consider it a pest.

 

Many attempts to destroy them have been made: flamethrowers, pesticides, etc. – often with the official approval of Australian authorities.

 

Slaughters are conducted even during the breeding period, targeting chicks in their nest.

 

To date, the wild population is still quite large.

 

Height: approximately 35 cm

Weight: approximately 400 g

Colour: pink face, neck, and belly.

 

Grey back, wings and tail, pink and naked zone surrounding the eyes.

 

Small, horn-coloured beak.

 

Dark brown eyes in the male and reddish-brown in the female (adult birds starting at 18-24 months).

 

Sexual dimorphism not 100% reliable.

 

The rose-breasted cockatoo is a stocky bird with a small crest. It’s a naughty, active, and playful parrot.

 

It speaks with a small, discreet voice but your neighbours may have another opinion.

 

Two subspecies live mostly in Western Australia.

 

Rose-breasted cockatoos love open environments (fields, savannahs, etc.). They have not been seen in high altitudes.

They can fly in groups of several thousand birds. Rose-breasted cockatoos have also colonised cities and are often considered “pigeons” by Australians. Their diet is varied: from herbaceous seeds to stored sacks of wheat.

The map below is currently available only in French. An English version will soon be made available.