Hong Kong's urban cockatoos could be a genetic lifeline for Indonesian ancestors

A feral population of roughly 200 yellow-crested cockatoos in Hong Kong—descendants of escaped pets—carries unexpectedly high genetic diversity and signatures from all four subspecies, including a lineage from Lombok where the species is now locally extinct in the wild. Researchers are collaborating with local schools and parks to install artificial nest boxes to support breeding, positioning the urban population as a potential 'Biodiversity Ark' for genetic rescue of the critically endangered species in Indonesia, where fewer than 2,000 individuals remain.