The Black palm parrot also known as the Palm cockatoo parrot one of the largest parrots in the world is characterized by this bird dark black color and bright red face a rarity and lifestyle unique attracted lovers of parrots from different countries of the world to become of most expensive birds in the planet.
Technical data sheet: Black Cockatoo
Species of parrot: Probosciger aterrimus
in English: Palm Cockatoo
Classification: The Black Cockatoo is a large dark gray or black Psittacidae of the subfamily cockatoos of the monotypic genus Probosciger.
Size: Adult, it is one of the largest parrots. This is a bird fifty-70 cm long weighing 500 g to 1 kg.
Lifespan: It has the ability to live up to 90 years.
Black Cockatoo Distribution geographical
It lives, another peculiarity of this parrot, the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, and from Indonesia and northern Queensland (Cape York) to Australia. He lives in general, however, in spouses or in small bands of five to 7 Individuals.
The subspecies of New Guinea and neighboring islands ( Goliath and Stenolophus ) are increasingly rare in nature where They are very much endangered by traffic in the direction of destinations in the Middle East and those of the former Soviet bloc.
The palm parrot is found in the rainforests and forest edges of New Guinea and the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia, and can still be found near Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia, where it is sometimes observed in trees along roads.
Palm cockatoo in nature
Goliath cockatoo description
It is characterized by its black color, its large hoopoe, and one of the larger beaks (9 cm) in parrots. However, the Large blue macaw has a larger beak than its own. Its beak has the Particularity of collecting a part below which is capable of being embedded in the upper part, which gives the possibility to the bird to wedge a nut between its tongue and its upper mandible and to open it with its mandible underneath. It has a red spot on the cheek that changes color when he is worried, sick, or nervous.
Sexual dimorphism is not very marked: the upper mandible of the beak is smaller in females. Immatures have a white bill with grayish and yellowish-white covers. Because of its interest, It is a very popular four-legged companion. It reproduces their very evil and must remain isolated.
Subspecies:
- Probosciger aterrimus aterrimus
- Probosciger aterrimus stenolophus
- Probosciger aterrimus goliath
- Probosciger aterrimus macgillivrayi
Labels
Arabic: Goliath parrot, black parrot, palm parrot
English: palm cockatoo, the goliath cockatoo, or great black cockatoo
French: Cacatoès noir
Scientific name: Probosciger aterrimus
Black palm cockatoo Food
The diet of the palm cockatoo is very diverse, as it feeds on a wide range of fruit trees such as Kathi, Indian almonds, and cookie apples, in addition to the black bean tree and wild nuts such as the canary tree, as it feeds on insects, larvae, and buds.
The difference between males and females Black Cockatoo
There are no reliable external limitations to determine the male from the female, so it is recommended to perform a DNA test to completely eliminate suspicion and determine her sex accurately.
Breeding season
It starts from August to January, but depending on the local climate of this type of parrot, it may vary. The lowest breeding success rate among all other parrot species is due to its long life span where it builds its nests in the cavities of large trees The female lays one egg with a white color.
Their incubation period lasts about 30 days to get the little out of the nest After more than 100 days of cutting it has been Beginning to be independent of the care of its parents It is about 144 days old, it lays one belly per season and may not reproduce each year.
Black cockatoo Education
It may not be affordable for everyone to breed this type of parrot because of its rarity and expensive prices that exceed $ 14000,3 like the rest of the large-sized parrots such as the blue macaw placed in dedicated cages of very large size, but most of them do not allow it to fly or move a lot so it is very important to allow the palm parrot out of the cages for at least hours a day to exercise and maintain its health and make sure that Be under supervision when taken out and in order to avoid accidents because they have very strong beaks, nuts and fruits are provided and it is necessary to follow a healthy and balanced diet and control fat because it may gain weight very quickly so be sure to provide a useful and rich mixture with as diverse as possible.
Black palm cockatoo lifespan
The average lifespan in nature is between 40 and 60 years until it can live in captivity for about 90 years, so it is considered a perennial parrot and sexually matures at the age of 7 or 8 years for both sexes.
The black cockatoo, this bird that makes percussions to seduce its partners
STRANGE CREATURES. Every week, African-Parrot.com invites you to discover a species with strange, unusual, or extraordinary abilities. For this second episode, make way for the black cockatoo, the only bird that seduces its partners by making percussions.
Name: Black cockatoo, black micro gloss or Probosciger aterrimus
Location: New Guinea, Cape York Peninsula (Australia), and Aru Islands (Indonesia)
Special sign: Makes chopsticks to make percussions and seduce females
Seduction is a complex and delicate art, even for wildlife. To curry favor with their partner, animals have developed a wide variety of tactics. Some show off their musculature, others their shimmering colors. Still, others display their talent as a singer or dancers.
The black cockatoo has opted for a unique strategy. This bird native to New Guinea and Australia is recognizable by its black plumage, large hoopoe, and red spots on its cheeks under its eyes. But these assets are not his main weapon to bring down females.
No, to seduce, the black cockatoo prefers to change into Ringo Starr, Phil Collins, or Dave Grohl (in his early days). In northern Australia, males are indeed known to attract attention by performing percussion. More precisely, by hitting with his paw a stick or pod against a tree, all in rhythm.
An unprecedented behavior
In nature, other animals have already been observed, drumming on surfaces using various objects. What makes the behavior so exceptional is how the cockatoo carries it out. Because the bird doesn’t just play the drums. As a good musician, he chooses and better make his own instrument.
To do this, the male breaks branches that he then meticulously prunes with his beak. And that’s it. All that remains is to catch it with a paw and knock it against a suitable surface. Tool making is a rare ability in animals. It is all the more remarkable here that the tool is not used to feed as is often the case.
According to scientists studying the species in Australia, it is the only bird known to date to make a tool and use it to produce a sound. And what a sound. One might indeed believe that the cockatoo produces simply repeated shocks without much musicality. That would be misjudging the potential of the beast.
The signature of a real musician
One study published in 2017 and conducted on 18 males revealed that the sounds produced are not random. Quite the contrary. Not only do they have regular and predictable components, but they also depend on the style of the winged “drummer” that is at the origin of them. Thus, the rhythm and intervals of drumming vary from one individual to another.
Facing females – which were present in the majority of observations from the study -, males do not hesitate to show their “signature” as a human musician or composer would, explains the report. A conclusion raises questions about the evolution of music and rhythm in animal species, including humans.
Either way, the Ringo Starr of wildlife seems to have found the trick to distinguish himself from his competitors and bring down these ladies. To complete the show, some even make vocalizations, erect their crest or intensify the red of their cheeks.
Scientists including professor Robert Heinsohn of the Australian National University (ANU), however, have not yet analyzed in detail the reaction of the applicants and their preferences.
Back palm cockatoo price
What is the Cost of a Black Palm Cockatoo? For those interested in the bigger kinds of cockatoo, this is the perfect match. It is one of the popular species ranging between $15,000–$20,000.
A Black Palm Cockatoo is a serious investment in time and money. Expect to pay at least $15,000 for this parrot and on average around $19,000 because the bird is so rare in the pet trade.
In danger of extinction
This species full of surprises unfortunately does not do well in nature. P. aterrimus is now classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) while the Australian population is classified as “vulnerable”. However, these statutes seem insufficient in view of the conclusions of a New study published in December 2020.
From a large data set, the authors estimated that Australia’s black cockatoo population could drop by more than 50 percent over the next three generations or about 49 years. A rapid decline that would rather place the species in the “threatened” category of the red list.
The problem is that P. aterrimus has one of the lowest reproductive rates of Parrots. According to the study, the species would not know enough birth to replace extinct individuals. And limited connectivity between different populations would not halt the decline of some of them.
One of the main threats to the bird, which is rather discreet in nature, remains the loss and degradation of its habitat, caused by the exploitation of the surrounding bauxite mines and fires in particular.
These palm cockatoos have a rhythm
SOURCE: ABC TV & iview
