HONG KONG (AP) — Critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoos found an unexpected sanctuary among Hong Kong ’s towering skyscrapers, but like their human neighbors they now face trouble finding a place to call home.
Native to Indonesia and East Timor, the snow-white birds, their crests flashing like yellow crowns, squawk through the urban parks of the Asian financial hub. They make up roughly 10% of the species’ global wild population, which numbers only up to 2,000 mature birds.
Research shows the city’s cockatoo population has stagnated as the birds, which live in tree cavities, are losing natural nesting spaces in old trees due to typhoons and government tree trimming for public safety. That’s adding to global pressures on cockatoos such as the illegal pet trade and climate change.