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The yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea, Gmelin 1788) is an endemic bird in eastern part of Indonesia with monomorphic characteristics and included in the list of endangered birds. A method of sex determine in monomorphic birds is by molecular sexing which is based on the PCR amplification of the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding 1 (CHD-1) gene of the bird sex chromosome. This study was aimed to sex determine of the C. sulphurea by amplifying the CHD-1 gene on the Z and W chromosomes and comparing the PCR amplification results from peripheral blood and plucked feathers samples. The samples used were four birds of C. sulphurea from the Wildlife Rescue Centre (WRC), Yogyakarta. The feathers obtained from the ventral wings of each bird were plucked. Through the cutting of the birds' nails, the peripheral blood samples were collected into microhematocrit tubes which contained Heparin. The amplification of the CHD-1 gene used the PCR method with specific primers, such as NP, P2, and MP. Moreover, the PCR results were visualized on 1.5% agarose gel using UV-Transilluminator, at a wavelength of 280 nm. The PCR products (amplicons) were in 297 bp and 392 bp DNA bands, depending on the sex of the bird being tested. It was also observed that the male C. sulphurea produced single 392 bp DNA fragment of the Z chromosome. However, the female birds produced two DNA fragments of the Z and W chromosomes, with a length of 297 bp and 392 bp. The results showed that samples obtained from peripheral blood produced clearer DNA bands compared to plucked feather. It concludes that the extracted DNA from peripheral blood samples have a better quality compared to samples from plucked feathers. Amplification of the CHD-1 gene in male C. sulphurea generated only a single DNA fragment in size of 392 bp, so the four C. sulphurea were male birds.

This study aimed to determine the sex of Tanimbar Cockatoo (Cacatua goffiniana) birds by amplifying Chromodomain Helicase DNA-binding-1 (CHD-1) gene on Z and W sex chromosomes as well as to compare the quality of DNA extraction and PCR amplification products from samples derived from peripheral blood and plucked feathers. This work used five C. goffiniana birds which were collected from the Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC) in Pengasih, Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta. From each C. goffiniana, feather samples were collected by plucking feathers on the ventral wing and peripheral blood samples were taken by cutting their nails and collecting the blood into microhematocrit tubes containing heparin. The next stage was DNA extraction and DNA amplification on the CHD-1 gene using the PCR method by NP, P2, and MP primer pairs. Then, products of DNA extraction and PCR amplification were electrophoresed on 1.5% agarose gel and visualized under a UV light transilluminator with a wavelength of 260 nm. The visualization showed that samples from peripheral blood generated clearer DNA fragments compared to plucked feathers. Two of the five samples were male C. goffiniana and the other three samples were females. In the male Tanimbar Cockatoo was amplified a single DNA fragment of the Z sex chromosome in size of 300 bp, whereas in the female C. goffiniana was amplified double DNA fragments of Z and W sex chromosomes in size of 300 bp and 400 bp respectively. The DNA quality showed that the DNA quality from peripheral blood samples were better in quality than the DNA collected from plucked feather samples.