PHILIPPINE COCKATOO

(Cacatua haematuropygia) Critically Endangered

They are a long-lived species, noted to have a generational length of 13 years. Extensive deforestation and high demand as pets have contributed to a shrinking population.

They are small, white cockatoos with red and yellow markings under the tail. Adults have a crest, pinkish ear coverts, and lores, along with reddish and yellow markings beneath the wings and tail. Eye color is different, too, with younger cockatoos having grayer irises that develop into black-brown ones for males, red-tinted ones for females. They tend to have loud and startling calls when they do voice out. Also known as the red-vented cockatoo, this bird species is a social one, and they congregate in noisy groups for roosting and feeding. However, they pair off during the mating seasons, with mating pairs distancing themselves from the flock. They mainly feed on seeds, but they also eat fruits and flowers.