Date: 2008-11-14

News Source: Antara News Agency, Indonesia

A species of cockatoo feared to have become extinct has been "rediscovered" with the sighting of a handful of breeding pairs on a remote Indonesian island, researchers working for the Indonesian Parrot Project revealed earlier this week.

Ten Abbott's Sulphur-crested cockatoos were found on the Masalembu archipelago off Java Island, which is in the remote Java Sea, north of the cities of Surabaya and Bali, the Indonesian Cockatoo Conservation group has reported. The local population of the cockatoo has been threatened by hunting and capture for the pet trade.

"We were excited when we found them in residential areas on Masakambing island," researcher Dudi Nandika said. The group included four breeding pairs and two juveniles.

Despite the discovery the Yellow-crested Abbott's cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea abbotti) remains the rarest species of the bird on earth, he said.

The parrot was first discovered 90 years ago, and scientists last observed a group of five in 1999, researcher Dwi Agustina said. It was assumed that number was too low for the cockatoos to reproduce and the species had died out, Agustina said.

Parrots are the most endangered bird family and a number of the parrots threatened with extinction are found only in Indonesia. Four of the five cockatoo species listed on the highest category of protection by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species are found in Indonesia. Of these, the Yellow-crested cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea) are the most imperilled.

Further information can be found at
Indonesian Parrot Project
Wildlife Extra