Adults: General plumage white with faint yellow under wings and tail. Forehead, lores, and bases of feathers on head, mantle and upper breast, orange-scarlet (less red than Long-billed Corella). Eye-ring, bare skin pale grey-blue. Eye, dark brown. Bill, bone, long and tapered. Feet and toes, mid-grey.
Immatures: As adults. Upper mandible shorter.
Downy Young: Finely yellow downed.
Other Names (World)
Western Corella, Western Long-billed Corella, Bare-eyed Corella, Dampier's Cockatoo, Western Long-billed Cockatoo, White Cockatoo, Corella
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Status LC
Hunting and poisoning in the 1940's brought it to the point of extinction. Currently agricultural expansion and prohibition of poisoning and shooting has seen the numbers recover. Habitat destruction for agriculture appears to be the main threat.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Food
Seeds of grasses and legumes.
Voice
Alarm call an unforgettable raucous screech. A three-syllable, wavering call in contact. Range of raucous calls when roosting.
Western Corella (Cacatua pastinator) [XC464183]
by Barry Edmonston from Rocky Gully, Shire of Plantagenet, Western Australia, Australia (call)
Western Corella (Cacatua pastinator) [XC165224]
by Nigel Jackett from Paynes Find, Western Australia, Australia (call)
Nest
Hole in a tree.
Eggs (Guide)
1 - 3, occasionaly 4; white; about 41 x 31 mm.
Young
Fledge in about 53 - 67 days. Fed by both sexes.
Subspecies
Alternative genus name Kakatoe now obsolete and official suppression proposed. Sometimes considered to include Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), and in past was treated as conspecific with Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris). However, on current evidence, the three forms probably best considered to constitute three separate species. Type specimen of subspecies derbyi inadequately labelled and of doubtful origin and locality, since Derby is 1500 km north of the range of this subspecies. The name Cacatua pastinator butleri Ford, 1987 is available and may well be validated in future.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
pastinator (Gould, 1841) - South-western WA, previously extending from about Albany to Perth but now restricted to Lake Muir region in the extreme south-west.
derbyi (Mathews, 1916) - Northern and central Wheatbelt of south-western Australia.
Similar Species
Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), which has a shorter bill. The Western Corella (Cacatua pastinator) has less red on the face and none on the throat.
References
See References.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
BirdLife International Species Factsheet