The palm cockatoo, also known as the goliath cockatoo or great black cockatoo, is a large, smoky-grey/black parrot of the cockatoo family native to New Guinea, the Aru Islands and the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. It has a crest of long feathers atop its head, with a very large and strong, sharply-hooked black beak, and prominent bright-red cheek patches.
Region
New Guinea and Cape York Peninsula
Typical Environment
The palm cockatoo inhabits lowland and foothill tropical forests, including rainforest, gallery forest, monsoon woodland, and forest edges. It also uses woodland mosaics with large emergent trees, paperbark swamps, and occasionally mangroves. Mature trees with large hollows are essential for nesting and roosting. It is generally associated with intact or lightly disturbed habitats but can forage along forest margins and riparian corridors.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1350 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Palm cockatoos are famed for their unique drumming display: males craft sticks and tap on hollow trunks, producing resonant beats thought to advertise territory and attract mates—one of the few known instances of tool use in birds. Their bare red cheek patches can flush brighter with excitement or stress. They have an exceptionally slow breeding rate, often raising at most one chick every two years.
At Chili Beach, Cape York, Australia
Great black cockatoo from New-Guinea, Dutch colonial expedition Natuurkundige Commissie, around 1821–1822
Temperament
typically wary and deliberate; often cautious around disturbance
Flight Pattern
strong flier with deep, deliberate wingbeats and short glides between tall trees
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups; larger loose aggregations can form at abundant food sources. Pairs maintain long-term bonds and defend nesting territories centered on large hollow-bearing trees. Breeding is very slow, with a single egg, prolonged nestling period, and often biennial breeding. Males perform stick-drumming displays on resonant trunks as part of courtship and territorial signaling.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include loud, metallic, and ringing calls, grating screeches, and clear whistles. Displays may be accompanied by bill-clicks and the distinctive percussive drumming on wood.
Plumage
Uniform smoky-grey to black plumage with a powdery sheen and an impressive, long erectile crest.
Diet
Feeds primarily on hard seeds and nuts (e.g., Canarium/kanari nuts), palm fruits, pandanus drupes, and other forest fruits. It uses its massive bill to crack extremely tough shells and manipulates food deftly with its feet. It may occasionally take insect larvae or grubs found in dead wood.
Preferred Environment
Forages high in the canopy and subcanopy of rainforest and woodland, often visiting fruiting trees and palms. Also feeds at forest edges and along rivers, sometimes descending to the ground for fallen nuts.
