white cockatoo in singapore?

the other day while i was walking along sixth avenue towards holland road i spied a white cockatoo perched high on the branch of a tree. cannot remember what kind of tree it was; could be a cassia or a flame of the forest, it was quite a tall tree. i had my camera with me and thought of snapping its picture. decided against it as it was too high up on the tree.

later when i walked along the same road, but in the other direction, i noticed that it was not there anymore.

i was wondering if it was an escaped bird. could it be a native here? the cockatoo is a threatened species in its native habitat in sulawesi and eastern indonesia but has been known to breed here in singapore. it is believed that these birds first took up residence here as escapees from the bird trade.

the white cockatoo is a very clever bird and a wonderful mimic - a white cockatoo can even learn to mimic your voice!. i had a neighbour who had one of these talking birds. it had quite a good vocabulary and it was a good entertainer.