Description: The Leadbeater’s Cockatoo is pale pink with dark pink on the underside of its wings and tail. Its lower belly and upper sides of its wings and tail are white. This cockatoo has a large, distinctive crest banded with dark pink, yellow and white. Male Leadbeater’s Cockatoos have dark brown eyes, while females have light reddish-brown eyes.

Diet: Leadbeater’s Cockatoos are omnivores. They feed on insects and over 30 species of plants including wattles, hakeas, grevilleas and pines.

In the wild: The behaviour of Leadbeater’s Cockatoos changes depending on the season. In summer, when there is lots of food, they only forage for a few hours in the morning. During winter they spend more than half the day searching for food.

Leadbeater’s Cockatoos mate for life and work together to raise their chicks and defend their territory. They lay their eggs in tree hollows and return to the same area to nest each year.

Each pair of Leadbeater’s Cockatoos occupies a territory of about 30 square kilometres, and won’t tolerate other pairs of the same species nesting nearby. Combined with land clearing, this requirement means many birds cannot find suitable nests or enough food. As such, their numbers have declined across Australia.

Threats: Habitat destruction, loss of tree hollows and poaching for the illegal bird trade threaten the Leadbeater’s Cockatoo. Plant a fauna friendly garden at home that includes different food trees for Australian birds.

At Perth Zoo: The Leadbeater's Cockatoo can be seen in the Australian Bushwalk.