Parrot

A less common species here is the Yellow-crested Cockatoo. It's native to the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia from Lombok and Sumbawa to Flores and West Timor, as well as Sulawesi and nearby island groups. It's also present in East Timor. Small populations have become established in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Yellow-crested cockatoo was listed as a critically endangered species

Moreover, the Yellow-crested cockatoos breed very slowly. They lay eggs only once a year and can produce only two eggs at a time. Their slow rate of breeding could also be a result of them fighting for nests

Since the 2000s, there have been high incidents of the illegal hunting of Yellow-crested cockatoo in Indonesia due its high value. A Yellow-crested cockatoo can be sold for 5 million rupiah (S$500). Unlike other protected species, the Yellow-crested cockatoo is hunted based on orders only.

They are very gregarious animals and learn quickly to mimic the human voice.

Cockatoos are extremely curious and smart. They can work out how to unlock their cage and will then set out to explore your house. They are one of a few birds that aren't afraid when placed on the ground

feathers are waterproof due to a thin, special powder that they excrete.

cockatoos are notoriously loud. A cockatoo's contact call can be heard for up to a mile or more away. This is especially true early in the morning and near sunset when they would naturally call out in the wild.

In general, a talkative cockatoo may learn 20 or so words and simple expressions over the years. With training, they will begin to associate certain phrases with specific circumstances as well. Even though they won't know the meaning of "Good morning," for instance, a bird can learn that this is said when the sun rises or their person wakes up.

This white cockatoo escaped from captivity and established itself in Singapore. It is all-white except for the pink lores and the grey beak. It has a crest which is not usually erect.

Cockatoos can copy the sounds made by other animals, including people.

This species has the reputation of being a “quieter cockatoo”. But it will screech, especially if it wants your attention. Not the best talker, this cockatoo might learn a good number of words and phrases.

Goffin’s cockatoos are fond of dancing to music, as are many other cockatoos.

A study by Oxford University study in 2013 showed how these cockatoos are able to solve complex mechanical problems that involved undoing a number of locks in a series. One of them unlocked them all unaided in under two hours; and many of the others solved the problem with some help or by watching another cockatoo.

Cockatoos are often given up for adoption due to behavior issues: which is why there are so many ‘escaped’ Singapore

Red-breasted parakeets are considered a "common introduced resident" (escaped from cages in Singapore)

It is easily identified by the large reddish patch on its breast.

Unfortunately, the bird currently stands at "Near Threatened"

This is due to suspected moderately rapid population decline, thanks to on-going trapping pressure, persecution, and habitat loss (threatened by the wild bird trade)

An alternative name is the moustached parakeet: the moustached parakeet is named for its distinctive feathers above the beak that looks like a well-groomed moustache.

The moustached parakeet has extensive range in southeast Asia. It is native to China and the islands of Indonesia, where several subspecies live. Feral populations are spreading to many other areas, including neighboring cities. Their shrinking natural habitat causes flocks to become urban dwellers.

Only the males have the red or black ring around the neck that gives them their name.

They live in large groups and can be found in flocks of thousands of birds sometimes. They are very noisy and often mix with other birds.

Rose-ringed parakeets are excellent mimics and can learn a lot words, making them a very popular pet.

Native to southern Asia and central Africa, this big, long-tailed parakeet has been very popular as a cage bird all over the world. Apparently it is also very adaptable, because escaped birds have managed to establish feral populations in many regions of the globe.

accidental or intentional releases of small numbers of pets throughout the decades. Additionally, it’s particularly notable that at least some of these releases may be linked to health fears inspired by sensationalized news reports in 1931 and in 1952 about psittacosis — “parrot fever” — outbreaks.

Lorikeet is a bird native to southern Maluku, West Papua islands and western New Guinea

In Singapore, the Rainbow Lorikeet we have in our current checklist is actually the Coconut Lorikeet. They are an introduced species that has been reported to be widespread since 1980s.

These lorikeets are gregarious birds that tend to congregate together especially in the late evenings. They roost in hollows of tall trees, which they presumably also use as nesting sites. Like other parrots and parakeets in Singapore, they have been observed feeding on the seeds of the African Tulip tree and ripe rambutan fruits.

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Lorikeets have very specialized tongues for feeding on nectar. Tiny hair-like structures called 'papillae' line the end of the tongue in the shape of an "U." When a lorikeet extends its tongue during feeding, the papillae stand on end, like bristles on a brush, allowing nectar and pollen to be easily soaked up. Unique to lorikeets, this trait has earned them the nickname "brush-tongued" parrots.

Approximately 70% of their day is spent feeding, and lorikeets will travel more than 48 km (30 mi.) a day to find food. Some lorikeets can feed on as many as 650 flowers each day.

One of the reasons they are so successful in urban areas is that they have a flexible diet - they eat fruit, seeds, insects - and there are even documented cases of them eating meat

Rainbow Lorikeets are 'communal roosters'. This means that on dusk, huge numbers of them congregate together in a few trees. This can be extremely noisy! Research has shown that they are more likely to roost in trees where there is a large amount of artificial light at night (around places like shopping centres and sports ovals), most likely because they can see nocturnal predators coming more easily.

Even in Australia, Rainbow lorikeets were introduced to Western Australia in the 1960s… by accident.