Tanimbar Corella

Overview

The Tanimbar corella (Cacatua goffiniana), also known as Goffin's cockatoo, is the smallest of the white cockatoos and is native to the forests of the Tanimbar Islands in Indonesia. Classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List due to deforestation and the cage-bird trade, this species was formally described in 2004 after previous records were found to belong to a different species.

Identification

• Plumage: Mainly white body with salmon- or pink-coloured feathers between the beak and eyes; the deeper parts of the crest and neck feathers are salmon-coloured but hidden by white outer feathers, while the underside of wing and tail feathers has a yellowish tinge.
• Size: Approximately 31 cm from head to tail, with females weighing around 250 g and males around 300 g.
• Bill and Eyes: Pale grey beak; eye colour is black in males and brown in females.
• Crest: Possesses a movable crest of feathers on the head, characteristic of the family Cacatuidae.

Habitat

This species is endemic to the forests of the islands Yamdena, Larat, and Selaru in the Tanimbar Islands archipelago of Indonesia. It has also been introduced to the Kai Islands in Indonesia, as well as to Puerto Rico and Singapore, though its natural range remains limited to its original habitat.

Diet

In the wild, Tanimbar corellas have been observed shaping sticks of different dimensions into tools to consume sea mango seeds. While specific foraging habits in the wild are not extensively detailed, captive birds are known to manipulate objects to access food, such as using rakes to reach items behind mesh or opening complex locking mechanisms.

Did you know?

Tanimbar corellas possess remarkable problem-solving and self-control abilities, demonstrated by a 2018 experiment where they voluntarily withheld eating a preferred pecan nut for up to 80 seconds to receive a more desirable cashew nut in exchange, disproving the belief that birds lack self-control.