How did a bird from an undiscovered continent end up in a 13th-century European manuscript?

In the 13th century, Emperor Frederick II commissioned a book on the art of hunting. As a passionate falconer, he gathered extensive knowledge about birds. His work, De arte venandi cum avibus (On the Art of Hunting with Birds), is considered the first ornithological guide.

Remarkably, the book already contains illustrations of a cockatoo, even though Australia, the bird’s natural habitat, wasn’t officially discovered until 500 years later.

The explanation lies in the ancient trade routes between East and West. Cockatoos reached Europe through these networks, but due to cultural and religious domination, much knowledge was lost, including the bird’s true origins.

Only in the 19th century, with the rediscovery of Australia, was the cockatoo's provenance finally understood.

To me, the cockatoo symbolizes the memory of history.
Intelligent, social, and with an exceptional memory.
Had we remembered better, much wisdom might never have been lost.