Fun Slender-billed Cockatoo Facts For Kids

In this article, we will be reading about the slender-billed cockatoo. The slender-billed cockatoo (Cacatua tenuirostris) is also known by the names long-billed corella and slender-billed corella.

This cockatoo parrot is native to the country of Australia. This bird is mostly white in color, with splashes of reddish-pink on its head.

The name of the bird comes from its distinct long beak, which is pale white in color. Slender-billed cockatoos resemble the look of sulfur-crested cockatoos and the little corella.

The beaks or upper mandible of slender-billed cockatoos help them dig up roots, seeds, and bulbs that make up the bulk of their diet.

Looking similar to little corella birds, the long-billed corella is also a great pet due to its friendly, intelligent, and affectionate behavior. These birds are members of the subgenus Licmetis, which is made up of many related species of cockatoos.

While they are a very pleasant sight to many, slender-billed cockatoos create a nuisance for many farmers as they damage crops, hence, are considered pests. This problem is especially pressing in western Australia and western Victoria and, as a result, has allowed permits to be granted for the culling of these birds.

Read on to learn more about the long-billed corella.

If you enjoy reading this article, you will love reading about mealy parrot and shrike.

Slender-Billed Cockatoo Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a slender-billed cockatoo?

Slender-billed corella is a type of bird that is native to the country of Australia. As it belongs to the order Psittaciformes and genus Cacatuidae, this bird has been classified as a parrot and a cockatoo, respectively.

What class of animal does a slender-billed cockatoo belong to?

Slender-billed corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) belongs to the class Aves. Furthermore, these parrots belong to the order Psittaciformes, family Cacatuidae, and genus Cacatua.

How many slender-billed cockatoos are there in the world?

The population of the slender-billed corella is between 100,000-500,000. Considering the fact that the species is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, it is reasonable to assume that their population is relatively stable.

Where does a slender-billed cockatoo live?

Long-billed corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) live exclusively in Australia. In Australia, the distribution of these birds is observed in Victoria, southeastern New South Wales. The range of these birds has extended to other parts of the country, such as Tasmania, Southeast Queensland, and Adelaide.

What is a slender-billed cockatoo's habitat?

The long-billed corella prefers habitats that are characterized by how near they are to water sources. This species lives in grassy woodlands, grasslands, and savanna woodland.

They are often found near human-dominated areas such as farm pastures, agricultural fields, and urban parks. They range in altitudes as high as 1312 ft (400 m). Long-billed corella populations are found near creeks lined with bull-oak and red-gun trees.

Who do slender-billed cockatoos live with?

These birds aggregate in flocks of up to 2,000. These flocks are very noisy and are centered around food sources.

How long does a slender-billed cockatoo live?

The life span of this species can be as long as 50 years in captivity. In the wild, on the other hand, the slender-billed cockatoo lives closer to 20 years. Their life span is somewhat shorter than other cockatoos like the palm cockatoo and the sulfur-crested cockatoo.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season for the slender-billed corella spans from the month of July to December. While the breeding season for this species is long, the slender-billed cockatoos tend to nest for breeding mostly in September and October.

During breeding, the adult slender-billed corella cockatoo forms monogamous pairs and contributes equally to build a nest, incubate eggs, and nurture the young. After the breeding and mating are over, the female long-billed corellas lay between two to three dull white eggs that are oval-shaped.

An incubation period of about three weeks follows till the eggs of these birds hatch. It takes about 56 more days for the chicks to leave the nest.

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, the slender-billed cockatoo is listed as Least Concern. However, there are threats such as wild bird trade and hunting by farmers. Despite this, it is believed that their population is thriving.

Slender-Billed Cockatoo Fun Facts

What do slender-billed cockatoos look like?

Long-billed corellas belong to the order Psittaciformes, thus share many features with an average parrot. Slender-billed cockatoos are mostly white, their reddish-pink face and forehead being the exceptions.

Even their breast have feathers that have the same shades of red. They have a pale blue eye-ring as well. Their wings are large, and their beaks are long that they use to dig for food.

The underside of their wing and tail have a tinge of yellow. The little corella, also known as bare-eyed cockatoo, and slender-billed cockatoo look similar in appearance and are often mistaken for each other.

How cute are they?

These birds are beautiful to look at. Their ability to mimic words makes them especially loveable. You can experience their cute quirks if you get them as pets.

How do they communicate?

The slender-billed cockatoo has many calls such as a falsetto 'currup', rapid quavering in addition to harsh screeches. They are especially good at learning how to mimic words. It can learn complete sentences, which makes it the best at communicating with humans among all cockatoos.

How big is a slender-billed cockatoo?

The adult slender-billed cockatoo is between 15-16 in (38-41 cm). Longer than their bodies are their wings, which can span between 31-35 in (79-89 cm). In comparison, the golden-crowned sparrow is half their size.

How fast can a slender-billed cockatoo fly?

The exact speed of the long-billed corella is not known. Knowing that cockatoos can reach speeds of 43 mph (70 kph), you can estimate the speed of the long-billed corella.

How much does a slender-billed cockatoo weigh?

The weight of an average adult slender-billed cockatoo is about 20 oz (567 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no unique names for the male and female of this species, apart from being called cocks and hens, respectively.

What would you call a baby slender-billed cockatoo?

Young slender-billed cockatoo can simply be called a chick.

What do they eat?

Slender-billed cockatoos are herbivores and eat plants as part of their diet. They use their beaks to dig up roots on the ground. Their diet includes seeds (including sunflower), roots, crops, and bulbs. In captivity, you may feed them fruit and vegetables, as well.

Are they poisonous?

Slender-billed cockatoos are not poisonous.

Would they make a good pet?

These birds make for great pets by being intelligent, social, and affectionate in nature. These birds require a large cage; the smallest size the cage can be is 3 sq ft (0.27 sq m).

These parrots love to spend time with their owners, so have their cage around. Males may behave aggressively as they reach sexual maturity between the ages of three and five years.

These birds develop a layer of powdery down on their feathers, so it may not be the best idea to get them if you are allergic to dust. As for their diet, feed them a combination of mixed seeds (including sunflower seeds), fruits, and vegetables.

As you plan their diet, make sure you are not feeding them more than necessary.

Do let them out of their cage for a few hours each day. The slender-billed cockatoo price ranges between $3000-$4000.

Often, these pets are released into the wild, which has caused unusually large populations in Perth and Sydney. Thus, it is important to be sure that you are willing to commit the effort needed to take good care of your bird.

Did you know...

There are feral populations of the slender-billed cockatoos in Perth and Sydney. This has led to fears that the slender-billed cockatoos may hybridize with the Endangered bird species of western corella.

The smallest species of cockatoos is the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus).

What's the difference between a slender-billed cockatoo and a white cockatoo?

White cockatoo, unlike slender-billed cockatoos, has an umbrella-like semicircular crest on its head. Contrary to the slender-billed cockatoos, the white cockatoo is listed as Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Why are slender-billed cockatoos also called slender-billed corella?

Slender-billed cockatoos belong to the subgenus Licmetis. Species of this subgenus are known as corellas; thus, the slender-billed cockatoo is also referred to as the slender-billed corella.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these hyacinth macaw facts and Arctic tern facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Slender-billed cockatoo coloring pages.