Intelligent, beautiful, elegant—this is arguably one of the most beautiful parrots. These cockatoos boast a lifespan the equal of humans. The oldest recorded Salmon-crested Cockatoo at the London Zoo was 80, the San Diego Zoo recorded an 85-year-old, and 125 years recorded by a citizen caregiver in England.

The Salmon-crested (Seram) Cockatoo can be found only on Seram and surrounding islands located in the Indonesian island chain known as the Moluccas, Maluku or Spice Islands. Today breeding populations are all located on Seram because development killed the birds on the smaller islands. Seram has approximately 220 bird species, 15 found only on Seram, and 14 of these are endangered—like the Salmon-crested cockatoo.

They take as many as five years to reach maturity. Their numbers in the wild are especially vulnerable to loss of lowland forest.

Salmon-crested cockatoos have unique calls such as eerie wailing that can be heard more than a kilometer away! The cockatoo's distinctive mating rituals involve such vocalizations along with ceremonial twig-breaking and wing-fluttering. Parents raise two babies in a season and share the chores.

This parrot is best raised by experienced, dedicated parrot people who can cope with their psychological and physical needs. Sadly, these cockatoos are generally the most common parrots to experience abuse and exhibit psychological problems and nutritional deficiencies. Many are shuttled from home to home and forced to live out a short, brutal life.

Although listed as CITES Appendix I since 1989, many Salmon-crested cockatoos are still illegally traded via Singapore, sold at markets on the streets in Indonesia, sold to the pet trade by locals, and sold for use in ceremonies.

The total wild population of Moluccan Cockatoos is estimated by Project Bird Watch at 2,000 (figures from 1997), 8,000 by UNEP-WCMC, and thought to range between 62,000 and 195,000 by Birdlife International— although most experts consider 2,000 far too low and 195,000 far too high. A figure of approximately 110,000 is more realistic and may reflect increases enjoyed since the local enforcement of a trapping ban (since 1998). According to Project Bird Watch, populations of Salmon-crested Cockatoos at their site near Sawai are increasing since this ban went into effect.

What can you do to help these cockatoos in the wild? Check the sources of wood that you use for projects and ensure that you're not buying products—especially from illegal logging—that come from their homelands.

That white color, fan-shaped crest, and gregarious nature make this parrot stand out anywhere. Although there are more of these cockatoos than the fabled "Moluccan" (Salmon-crested), there are not many of them worldwide. They are a common food item for indigenous people, and the removal of large forest trees disrupts their mating habits.

Umbrellas prefer tall trees and hanging out with their family. Perhaps two babies are raised every breeding season.

What can you do to help these cockatoos in the wild? Check the sources of wood that you use for projects and ensure that you're not buying products that come from their homeland.

Appendix I and II of the CITES list.

The 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.