Hong Kong cockatoos could help save Indonesia’s endangered species, study shows

Hong Kong’s wild yellow-crested cockatoos may hold genetic traits that could help save the critically endangered species in Indonesia, a study has found. The study, published in the Evolutionary Applications journal in May, underscored the importance of conserving the city’s cockatoo population. Lead author Astrid Andersson from the University of Hong Kong’s school of biological sciences described these birds as a “backup”, preserving lineages of subspecies that may no longer exist in the wild. She urged greater support, including using artificial nest boxes to provide safe breeding sites. “Instead of dismissing urban, introduced populations as ecologically redundant, we should view…