cockatoo

Everyday

1. A cockatoo is a large parrot with a crest of feathers on its head that it can raise and lower. tree →
2. Most cockatoos live wild in Australia and nearby islands; many are white, pink, grey or black. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature lessons cockatoos appear as Australian birds, as examples of parrots, and in talk about pets that live a very long time. In Australian stories a flock of screeching cockatoos is a normal backyard sound. Phrases: «sulphur-crested cockatoo», «pink cockatoo (galah)», «a flock of cockatoos».

Examples

• A cockatoo raised its yellow crest and screeched. tree →
• A flock of white cockatoos landed on the school oval in Sydney. tree →
• Our neighbour's cockatoo can say «hello» and «good boy». tree →
• Cockatoos crack nuts with their strong curved beaks. tree →
• Some pet cockatoos live longer than their owners. tree →
• The black cockatoo has red feathers in its tail. tree →
• In class we compared a cockatoo with a parrot from South America. tree →

Note

Countable: one cockatoo, two cockatoos. Stress on the last part: cock-a-TOO. A cockatoo is a kind of parrot, but not every parrot is a cockatoo (cockatoos have crests). Pet cockatoos need a lot of attention and can be very loud.