Talk:Cockatoo
From Academic Kids
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Parrot taxonomy is a nightmare! The Australian cockatoos are correct per the latest HANZAB list. Unfortunately, HANZAB does not cover New Guinea or the islands of South-east Asia, nor does my wonderful big Australian Parrots book, and I'm reduced to on-line sources. Doubtless there is an authoritive site out there somewhere, but the ones I've seen so far do not inspire confidence. The rule sems to be if anyone, anywhere, has ever described something as a parrot, or maybe just vaguely like a parrot, then lump it in and hope for the best - and if that leaves us with 1759 different species, all with at least three alternative names, then so much the better. Anyway, from the last-mentioned Australian species (Sulphur-crested Cockatoo) on down, my list is mostly guesswork. Improve it if you can. Tannin 13:56 27 May 2003 (UTC)
- @Tannin: Hello, Tannin. Do you know the sites [1] (http://trc.ucdavis.edu/catoft/parrot.htm) and [2] (http://www.papageien.org/HJP/SP/CACATUIDAE/) ? Both refer to a study by Brown & Toft (1999), the second reference shows a cladogram. According to this, Nymphicus, Callocephalon, and Calyptorhynchus should be placed in the same group. If this should be named Nymphicinae or Calyptorhynchinae is a matter of priority. --Franz Xaver 16:01, 8 Dec 2003 (UTC)
Like it or not, the correct names are hyphenated. It is not a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, for example, it is a Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Personally, I dislike the hyphenated second part, but the bird's correct and official name is indeed the bird's correct and official name. I don't see how we at Wikipedia can change that. Hell, I call Magpie-larks Mudlarks. Does that mean I should change that too? Tannin 11:20, 19 Feb 2004 (UTC)
What is a parrot? or, Are cockatoos parrots?
Contribute at Talk:Parrot#What is a parrot? or, Are cockatoos parrots? Nurg 09:17, 22 Nov 2004 (UTC)
The following annecdote should be included in the text. I came here to look for more information on the alledge intelligence of cockatoos after reading "treaded"'s comments on slashdot (http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=05/04/25/006201&threshold=1&commentsort=0&mode=nested&cid=12334276):
- I keep Cockatoos. I never intended to have such large birds as pets, and would most certainly not encourage it. I landed up with them as a “gift” as the previous owner found them too difficult.
- I would put their overall intelligence at around the 4 or 5 year human. With the addition that they are the most expert lock pickers.
- Imagine if you will the tantrums of a 4/5 year old, add that the 4/5 year can fly, has a set of tools like a combination hammer, ice-pick, file, and nut cracker, and absolutely knows which items dotted about are the most valuable to destroy.
- Often one of them imitates the phone ringing as I am about to leave the house. I could swear the blessed things are all sharing the joke.
- I am often left pondering: who here is the pet?
