|
Black Cockatoos
| |
| |
Baudin’s Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus baudinii
Baudin’s Cockatoos inhabit the Eucalypt forests of the South-West of Western Australia, they are a brownish-black colour with feathers edged with white, and there is also a white underside to their tail and a white covering over their ears.
Baudin’s Cockatoos are omnivores and feed on the seeds of Banksia, Hakea and Marri as well as fruit from local orchards. They also strip bark from dead trees in search of insect larvae.
These cockatoos first breed at 4 to 5 years of age and can live in excess of 50 years. They can only nest in hollow trees and they use that same hollow year after year. Baudin’s Cockatoos usually lay two eggs every year (October) and the female incubates and broods the one chick that survives, and if two eggs are produced usually only one chick survives. Male birds feed their mate during the incubation period.
Baudin’s Cockatoos make a ‘whicha whicha’ sound when calling and other names for this species are White-tailed Black Cockatoo and Long-billed Black Cockatoo. |
| |
|
| |
| |
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
(Calyptorhynchus banksii)
There are 3 types of Red tailed Black Cockatoo
1. Naso - These inhabit eucalypt and Marri forests in South-west Western Australia.
2. Samueli - These inhabit eucalypt woodlands of mid-west Western Australia.
3. Macrorhynchus - These inhabit forests and woodlands in northern WA.
Male Red-tailed Black Cockatoos are black with two vibrant red stripes in the tail. They also have a very full crest and a black bill. Females are black but have yellow spots and yellow fringed feathers. The beak is light grey and the tail has yellow to red stripes. The subspecies differ in stature, beak size and the brightness of the female’s plumage. Of the three WA subspecies Samueli and Naso are very similar except that Samueli has a smaller beak and duller feathered female. Macrorhynchus is larger in stature and has a larger beak. The female also has mostly yellow (rather than red) bars on the tail.
Red-tailed Black Cockatoos are granivores, eating mainly Marri, Banksia and Grevillea seeds and occasionally bulbs or fruit. They have strong beaks designed to crack seed cases. This species of Black Cockatoo only produces one young every second year, making it very difficult to increase the species’ numbers. |
| |
|
| |
| |
Carnaby’s Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus latirostris
Carnaby’s Cockatoos travel in large flocks of up to 2,000 and inhabit woodland scrub in the South West region of Western Australia. They are mostly brownish-black with dusky white-tipped feathers. They have white ear covers, a white band towards the tip of the tail and a black bill. Females have yellowish-white ear covers and greyish bills. The Carnaby’s upper bill is broader and shorter than the Baudin’s Cockatoos.
Carnaby’s Cockatoos are granivores and eat the seeds of Banksia, Dryandra, Hakea, Eucalyptus, Grevillea and Pinus.
This endangered species have a very low rate of reproduction which means the population cannot quickly replace the large number of birds shot by farmers. Habitat destruction is also a major cause as cutting down trees destroys the cockatoos’ nesting sites. Carnaby’s come into competition with introduced bees, galahs and corellas for nesting sites and are also highly sought after as pets on the black market. Many chicks are taken from nests and trees are cut down to get at the eggs and babies inside the nesting hollows. It is illegal to shoot or poach Black Cockatoos and we must make more of an effort in the conservation of this unique Australian Wildlife. |
|
|
|
