AY Honors/Parrots and Cockatoos/Answer Key

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The Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), also known as the Goliath Aratoo, is a large black parrot of the cockatoo family and this species is unique in its kind. It is the only member in subfamily Microglossinae and monotypic genus Probosciger. Its unique position within the cockatoo family has been confirmed by molecular studies (Brown & Toft, 1999, Astuti, 2004?).

The Palm Cockatoo is distributed in rainforests and woodlands of New Guinea and northern Queensland, Australia. It measures around 55-60 cm in length and weighs between 500-1,000 g. It is a distinctive bird with a large crest and has one of the largest bills of any parrots (only the Hyacinth Macaw's is larger). The bill is unusual as the lower and middle mandibles do not meet for much of its length, allowing the tongue to hold a nut against the top mandible while the lower mandible works to open it. The Palm Cockatoo also has a distinctive red gape that changes colour when the bird is alarmed or excited.

The Palm Cockatoo makes four different kinds of vocalisations. It has a unique display where the bird drums a large branch against a dead bough or tree, creating a loud noise that can be heard up to 100 m away.

This species is in high demand for the pet trade due to its unusual appearance, and does not breed well in captivity, requiring the removal of wild birds. It is still relatively common in Cape York, but is threatened there by habitat loss. The Palm Cockatoo is currently evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES.

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References

Astuti, Dwi (2004?): A phylogeny of cockatoos (Aves: Psittaciformes) inferred from DNA sequences of the seventh intron of nuclear β-fibrinogen gene. Doctoral work, Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Japan. PDF fulltext
Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes a lengthy justification of why this species is of least concern
Brown, D.M. & Toft, C.A. (1999): Molecular systematics and biogeography of the cockatoos (Psittaciformes: Cacatuidae). Auk 116(1): 141-157.
Flegg, Jim (2002): Photographic Field Guide: Birds of Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney & London. ISBN 1-876334-78-9