I came across a tree full of Pink Cockatoos at Mungo Lodge, on the outskirts of Lake Mungo in the Australian Outback. The alternative name for these birds is Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo and they were also previously known as Leadbeater’s Cockatoo.

Here’s a portrait of one of these spectacular birds:

They’re gregarious and chatty birds. This video shows them in a quieter moment, enjoying the early sunlight at the top of a tree:

It was exciting to see these birds. Pink Cockatoos are uncommon, and are considered endangered. Here’s a still picture of part of the tree full of birds:

In September 2023, Birdlife Australia published an intention to change the common name of these birds from Major Mitchell’s to Pink Cockatoo, because Major Mitchell played a major part in the massacre of Aboriginal people in the 19th century.

It’d be a pity to taint the beauty of these birds with such a memory. The birds have a delicate beauty, the pink colour changing in the light from soft pink to quite dramatic colouring:

At 35-40 centimetres from head to tail, these birds are about the same size as a Galah. They’re smaller than the well-known Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (45-50 cm).

A final shot of a group of birds coming in to land:

Common name: Pink Cockatoo (alternative name: Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo)
Scientific name: Cacatua leadbeateri
Approximate length: 35-40 cm
Date spotted: 20-21 May 2024 (autumn)
Location: Mungo Lodge, Mungo National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°44’31.4″S 143°00’06.1″E