Meet This Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Named Cocky Bennett, The Oldest Known Bird In The World Who Lived 120 Years And Had His Own Phrases

He could recall phrases such as "one feather more and I'll fly" and "one at a time, gentlemen, please"

Maryjane

• Published in Animal Stories
• November 25, 2022

One of Sydney's iconic figures was Cocky Bennett. The sulfur-crested cockatoo which is the longest-living Australian bird ever recorded passed away in 1916 at the ripe old age of 120.

His catchphrases included "one feather more and I'll fly"—a threat that, for the last 20 years of his life, he was almost entirely without feathers—and "one at a time, gentlemen, please" when he was being bothered by other birds.

According to Sydney veterinarian Dr. Alex Rosenwax, the reason for his long beak and absence of feathers was probably psittacine beak and feather sickness. Although Cocky's case was remarkable, cockatoos can actually live for up to 80 years.

They are typically as brilliant as young children. They are also cunning (they enjoy dive-bombing cars), are the loudest of all parrots, and are particularly fond of wood, especially wooden balcony rails.

According to avian expert Ross Perry, cockatoos pair together in their first year and remain monogamous until death, unless in the case of an injury, disease, or "divorce." When birds quarrel and decide they no longer want to be together, it can sometimes result in a "divorce," Perry said.

"When dealing with female birds, male birds can be very impatient," he added. "Sometimes we do see conflicts, usually if they are in captivity."

However, most cockatoos have lifetime relationships and court by mutual preening.

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The oldest known bird in the world was a sulphur-crested cockatoo called Cocky Bennett

According to Dr. Perry, the male cockatoo also courted females with food gifts. By the age of five, cockatoos are sexually mature and take turns nursing their eggs to maintain their warmth.

Each breeding season, two or three eggs are laid, and they are each incubated for 27 to 28 days by both parents. And now it's time to head over to the comments by Redditors.

He would say it to other cockatoos trying to fight him

It may have been taught or happened to overhear it repeated in that era

According to Dr. Perry, the chicks take between 112 and two days to emerge from their egg shells, with a pipping time of between 36 and 48 hours. Sulphur-crested cockatoos, gang-gang cockatoos, small corellas, and long-billed corellas are among the breeds found in Australia.

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Dr. Perry, who has observed the growth of the cockatoo population in NSW since the late 1960s, claimed that even non-native little corellas and long-billed corellas could now be seen in flocks of up to 50 or 100 birds flying freely. Fruit and seeds are favorites of cockatoos, who also eat berries, nuts, and roots.

In the wild, cockatoos gather in large groups to eat. There are hundreds of them, and when the flock is feeding, a few of the cockatoos stand guard the outside of the feeding area, keeping an eye out for any threats, according to Dr. Perry. 

Maryjane