Cockatoo

kakatua

Malay

“The crested parrot whose name imitates its call.”

Cockatoo comes from Malay kakatua, which imitates the bird's cry: 'kaka-tu-a!' It's an onomatopoeia that became a scientific name.

Cockatoos are native to Australia and Indonesia. Their crests, intelligence, and loud calls made them prized — and challenging — pets.

The word entered English in the 1600s through Dutch traders in Indonesia. Now cockatoos are icons of Australian wildlife.

The Malay imitation of a bird's call became the bird's English name.

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Cockatoo is now inseparable from Australian identity. The Malay imitation became Aussie icon.

The bird still cries 'kaka-tu-a' — and we still use that sound as its name.

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