Major Mitchell’s cockatoo
- The Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, also known as Leadbeater’s cockatoo or pink cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo restricted to arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia.Scientific name: Lophochroa leadbeateri Length: 50 – 60 cm (In the wild) Higher classification: Cacatua Rank: Species Family: Cacatuidae Kingdom: AnimaliaOften called a pink cockatoo due to its soft pink body coloring, the Major Mitchell cockatoo is in fact named after Major Sir Thomas Mitchell, who was a surveyor and explorer of Southeast Australia during the 1800s. This beautiful cockatoo’s most distinctive feature is its white tipped crest, which is banded red and yellow at the base. The wings are generally white with a darker pink underside. The birds grow to 36 cm long, a medium size among cockatoos. Living in small groups or pairs, they have also been seen with flocks of galahs and little corellas.