[5] This subspecies was accepted by Gerlof Mees in 1972 and Joseph Forshaw (1989) and recognised by Edward C. Dickinson and James Van Remsen Jr.

[7] Apart from the size difference, the Eleonora differs from the greater sulphur crested in that it doesn't have as prominent white eyerings (they often are a pale blue), the crest of an Eleonora is often less curved and it doesn't have the pointy upper mandible,[2] which is only found in Cacatua galerita galerita.

Although a smaller and lighter bird, in practice it may be difficult to differentiate this subspecies from the Triton cockatoo.

The female lays 2–3 white oval eggs, which hatch after a period of 30 days.

[citation needed] One notable Eleonora cockatoo is Snowball, a bird recently demonstrated to be capable of beat induction – in other words, that the bird is capable of perceiving a musical beat and dancing to it.