At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Birds
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The yellow-crested cockatoo is a white cockatoo with a bright yellow crest, found on islands of Indonesia and Timor-Leste. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
Heavy trapping for the pet trade has caused steep declines.
Range & habitat
Islands of Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Trapping for the cage-bird trade
- Habitat loss
Why it matters
A dazzling island parrot devastated by the cage-bird trade, the yellow-crested cockatoo is a flagship for tackling the songbird and parrot trade in Southeast Asia.
Sources
Sources for Yellow-crested Cockatoo
- IUCN Red List — look up Yellow-crested Cockatoo (authoritative status)
- BirdLife International
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the yellow-crested cockatoo Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite intense trapping for the cage-bird trade together with habitat loss across its island range. See the IUCN Red List for the current assessment.
How is it different from other white cockatoos?
It is smaller than the better-known sulphur-crested cockatoo and has a distinctive yellow (or orange, in one subspecies) crest.
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