Major Mitchell’s cockatoo

This beautiful pink-and-white cockatoo has a crest that displays bands of vibrant scarlet and yellow when extended. At around 36 cm, it is one of the smaller cockatoos.

Major Mitchell’s cockatoos spend most of the day feeding on the ground or among the branches of trees and shrubs. They eat seeds, nuts, fruits and roots, and are particularly fond of cypress pine and acacia seeds.

Look for these noisy cockatoos in wooded areas or around waterholes, where they often gather for a drink at dawn and dusk. Good places to start are the pockets of acacia along the Liru walk and Uluṟu base walk.