''Cacatua'' is a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

of the white

cockatoo A cockatoo is any of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the ord ...

s (genus ''

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 (s ...

''). They are found in wooded habitats from

Wallacea Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as Lo ...

east to the

Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about 50,000 square km. History The first inhabitants o ...

and south to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. 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 Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...

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 ''Licmetis'' is a subgenus of the white cockatoos (genus ''Cacatua''). They are collectively known as corellas in Australia. Three of the six species are primarily – or only – found in Australia, while the Philippines, Indonesia, and the S ...

'', the members of the subgenus ''Cacatua'' have a black bill. The sulphur-crested cockatoo is relatively widespread and can even be seen in

suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

habitats in some parts of its range, but the remaining members of this subgenus all have relatively small distributions and are considered

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensat ...

by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

due to a combination of

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and capture for the wild bird trade.

Species

* Yellow-crested (or lesser sulphur-crested) cockatoo, ''Cacatua (Cacatua) sulphurea'' *

Sulphur-crested cockatoo The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...

, ''Cacatua (Cacatua) galerita'' *

Blue-eyed cockatoo The blue-eyed cockatoo (''Cacatua ophthalmica'') is a large, mainly white cockatoo about long with a mobile crest, a black beak, and a light blue rim of featherless skin around each eye that gives this species its name. Like all cockatoos and m ...

, ''Cacatua (Cacatua) ophthalmica'' * White (or umbrella) cockatoo, ''Cacatua (Cacatua) alba'' * Salmon-crested (or Moluccan) cockatoo, ''Cacatua (Cacatua) moluccensis''

References

* Juniper, T., & M. Parr (1998). ''A Guide to the Parrots of the World.'' Pica Press, East Sussex. Cockatoos Animal subgenera Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot {{parrot-stub