[3][4] It has a crest of long feathers atop its head, with a very large and strong, sharply-hooked black beak (with which it can easily open nuts and seeds), and prominent bright-red cheek patches.

[6] Gmelin based his description on the "black cockatoo" that had been described and illustrated in 1764 by English naturalist George Edwards.

[16] [disputed (for: conflict with sources cited above)  – discuss] "Palm cockatoo" was designated the official common name for the species by the International Ornithological Committee (IOC).

Confusingly, this name was also used by early naturalists as well as Brazilian tribes to refer to the dark blue hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus).

The palm cockatoo also has a distinctive red cheek patch that changes colour when the bird is alarmed or excited.

[13] The vocalizations of palm cockatoos are similar to those of most wild parrots, but they have also been shown to produce a variety of additional syllables in display and exchange with neighbouring individuals.

[21] The palm cockatoo is found in rainforests and woodlands of New Guinea and Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.

If these birds do congregate, it will usually happen in open woodland just after sunrise or along the rainforest edge before returning to individual roosts for the night.

[25] Palm cockatoos only lay one egg every second year and have one of the lowest breeding success rates reported for any species of parrot.

[25] A 2023 study by Professor Robert Heinsohn from the Australian National University, has found that palm cockatoos fashion individual musical tools, in the form of wood and seed pods, to drum on trees to mark their territories and attract potential mates.

[28] The palm cockatoo is still relatively common in Cape York, where it is nonetheless threatened by habitat destruction (particularly due to bauxite mining around Weipa) and altered fire regimens in the region.

In early captive situations, pet owners would either feed dog kibble or generic bird seed mixture, while zoos would give them "monkey biscuits".

As their nutritional needs became more apparent over the years, owners have shifted to specially formulated "manufactured diet" pellets along with a wide variety of treats like peanuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, oranges, apples, grapes, pomegranate, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, broccoli, and kale.