Birding

The Vivacious Life of the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo

November 23, 2025 by Sanjana Raj No Comments

The Greater Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo is one of the most commonly sighted birds here in Melbourne. Australia is home to 14 species of Cockatoos, several of which are impacted severely by land loss, but the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo is one of the few that are thriving in the urban environment (literally- they figured out how to open rubbish bins!)

They’re large, bright white parrots with a lemon-yellow crest at the top of their heads that they can move at will, a curved black beak, and black feet. Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos are highly intelligent birds that use their crest and feathers to communicate a range of emotions and are also popular pets.

At my previous home in Northern Victoria, every summer our plum tree would do its thing and bear fruit. Like clockwork, a group of Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos would land in the yard every mid-morning to make the most of the windfall (never earlier than 10:30 am). Some would jaunt around the ground eating the fallen fruit, while the others would be snacking up in the tree. As it turns out, there is some strategy to this. The Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos in the trees often act as lookouts for their more vulnerable pals on the ground, screeching as needed when danger approaches.

They’re also infamous for the property damage they can cause by chewing on wooden structures, which they do for a variety of reasons, from beak maintenance, foraging, and simply for something to do. They really can destroy your house – if you ever start feeding a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (which you shouldn’t) and then stop, you’ll find out the hard way when your wooden deck begins to disappear.

While they’re beautiful birds, they also have one of the most piercing, ugliest calls I’ve ever heard. If you find yourself taking a walk underneath one of their larger roosting sites in the evenings, it’s like being at a rock concert where chainsaws are the only instruments being used and no one is in sync with anyone else.

Yet, they’re somehow unbelievably charming and one of my very favourite birds in Australia. They’re inquisitive, fearless, boisterous, and cheeky, and have a refreshing adolescent spirit about them that, for me, adds a welcome chaos to the Australian skies.



Written by Sanjana Raj
Sanjana grew up in Uganda and lived in South Africa, Malaysia, and the Netherlands before settling down in Melbourne, Australia. She’s a very new birder and got into it due to her partner’s influence. They often go looking for birds with their toddler, who corrects her when she misidentifies a bird call. Outside of enjoying birds, Sanjana works as a psychologist, writes about cooking, and anything else she can.