PARROTS
AS HE meandered through his field at the edge of the forest, the Tanimbar farmer grumbled as he pointed out a few roots of cassava which had been exposed and chewed. The list of possible culprits is long, but the farmer was adamant that Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) were to blame. He had seen them doing it, and so had others. It's not surprising really; we know that Goffin's are smart.
The Goffin's cockatoo, or Tanimbar corella, is endemic to the Tanimbar Islands in Maluku Province, Indonesia. Agricultural areas with fruit-tree plantations and dry land agriculture (beans, maize, cassava) are found along the coastline. Yamdena is the most important island for Goffin's, but the species also occurs on the islands of Larat and Selaru (Haryoko et al. 2020). In the
