A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family
Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the
Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the parrot order
Psittaciformes. Cockatoos are instantly recognisable by their showy
crests and curved bills. Their plumage is generally less colourful than
that of other parrots, being mainly white, grey, or black, and often
with coloured features in the crest, cheeks, or tail. On average they
are larger than other parrots. Cockatoos prefer to eat seeds, tubers,
corms, fruit, flowers and insects. They often feed in large flocks,
particularly when ground-feeding. Cockatoos are monogamous and nest in
tree hollows. Some cockatoo species have been adversely affected by
habitat loss, particularly from a shortage of suitable nesting hollows
after large mature trees are cleared; conversely, some species have
adapted well to human changes and are considered agricultural pests.
Cockatoos are popular birds in aviculture, but their needs are difficult
to cater for. The Cockatiel is the cockatoo species that is easiest to
care for and is by far the most frequently kept in captivity.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockatoo>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1811:
Peninsular War: An allied force of British, Spanish, and
Portuguese troops clashed with the French at the Battle of Albuera south
of Badajoz, Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Albuera>
1843:
The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest
set out on the Oregon Trail (reenactment pictured) with a thousand
pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Trail>
1918:
The Sedition Act was passed in the United States, forbidding
Americans from using "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive
language" about the United States government, flag, or armed forces
during the ongoing World War I.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition_Act_of_1918>
1943:
Royal Air Force Dambusters embarked on a raid to deploy
bouncing bombs on German dams in Operation Chastise during the Second
World War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Chastise>
1961:
The Military Revolution Committee, led by Park Chung-hee,
carried out a bloodless coup against the government of Yun Bo-seon,
ending the Second Republic of South Korea.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_16_coup>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
hue and cry:
1. (historical) The public pursuit of a felon; accompanied by shouts to
warn others to give chase.
2. (by extension) A loud and persistent public clamour; especially one of
protest or making some demand.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hue_and_cry>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Must then a Christ perish in torment in every age to save those that
have no imagination?
--George Bernard Shaw
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw>