What is "cacatua"

Cacatua is a genus of cockatoos found from the Philippines and Wallacea east to the Solomon Islands and south to Australia. They have a primarily white plumage (in some species tinged pinkish or yellow), an expressive crest, and a black (subgenus Cacatua) or pale (subgenus Licmetis) bill. Today several species from this genus are considered threatened due to a combination of habitat loss and capture for the wild bird trade, with the blue-eyed cockatoo, Moluccan cockatoo and umbrella cockatoo considered Vulnerable, and the red-vented cockatoo and yellow-crested cockatoo considered Critically Endangered.

The genus was first described by Brisson in 1790, with the white cockatoo (Cacatua alba) subsequently designated as the type species. Georges Cuvier defined the genus Kakatoe in 1800, with the red-vented cockatoo (C. haematuropygia) as the type, and some older bird books use the latter name. Mayr, Keast and Serventy validated Cacatua in 1964, and dismissed Kakatoe.

Cacatua is a subgenus of the white cockatoos (genus Cacatua). They are found in wooded habitats from Wallacea east to the Bismarck Archipelago and south to Australia. With the exception of the yellow-crested cockatoo, all are relatively large cockatoos with a total length of 45–55 cm (18–22 in). Their plumage is mainly white (tinged pinkish in the salmon-crested cockatoo), and the underwing and -tail have a yellowish tinge. Their crest is expressive and brightly coloured in most species. Unlike the members of the subgenus Licmetis, the members of the subgenus Cacatua have a black bill.

The sulphur-crested cockatoo is relatively widespread and can even be seen in suburban habitats in some parts of its range, but the remaining members of this subgenus all have relatively small distributions and are considered threatened by the IUCN due to a combination of habitat loss and capture for the wild bird trade.