Lyla Lindsey
Australia is home to 14 species of cockatoo, with others found in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and the Philippines. Australia's five black cockatoo species are the Baudin's, Carnaby's, red-tail, yellow-tail, and glossy black. These birds are found in various parts of Australia, from the arid inland areas to the eastern states of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and as far south as Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The Carnaby's black cockatoo is native to the southwest of Western Australia, while the Baudin's cockatoo is found in old-growth jarrah and marri trees in the same region. The red-tailed black cockatoo is widespread across the northern half of the country, while the glossy black cockatoo is found in eastern Australia, from Queensland to Victoria.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Black Cockatoo Species in Australia | 5 |
| Common Species Names | Baudin's, Carnaby's, Red-tail, Yellow-tail, Glossy Black |
| Scientific Name | Calyptorhynchus |
| Locations | Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia |
| Specific Locations | Kangaroo Island, Perth, Albany, Sydney, Centennial Park, Great Western Woodlands, South-West Western Australia, South-East South Australia, South-West Western Australia, Sydney, Canberra, Martu Country |
| Threats | Land clearing, habitat loss, deforestation, urban development, bushfires, mining, timber industries, competition from other birds, European honeybees, nest loss |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable, Endangered |
| Conservation Actions | Artificial hollows, breeding programs, WWF tracking, Birdlife Australia research, Land for Wildlife scheme, National recovery plan, Landowner reimbursement for habitat regeneration |
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What You'll Learn
- Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo: found in the south-west of Western Australia
- Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo: found in the south-west of Western Australia
- Baudin's Black-Cockatoo: found in south-west Western Australia
- South-eastern glossy black cockatoo: found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria
- Red-tailed black cockatoo: found in the northern half of Australia
Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo: found in the south-west of Western Australia
Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is one of Australia's five black cockatoo species. It is a dull-black bird with a short erectile crest, a large bill, and white tail feathers. It is commonly found in the south-west of Western Australia, particularly in the Wheatbelt region, which receives over 300 mm (12 in) of rainfall yearly. The limits of its range include Cape Arid to the east, Lake Cronin, Hatters Hill, and Lake Moore inland, and Kalbarri to the north.
Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is a partially migratory species, moving to higher rainfall areas after breeding in the summer. They are often seen in Eucalyptus woodlands, feeding on seeds from the nuts of Marri, Jarrah, and Protaeceae plants such as Banksia. They also feed on seeds from pine cones and occasionally on nectar, flowers, and insect larvae. The species is known to nest in hollows of tall Eucalyptus trees, which must be at least 100 years old to have large enough hollows for breeding.
The population of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is declining due to habitat degradation and destruction. Much of their habitat has been lost to land clearing and development, and they are further threatened by climate change, which is predicted to bring more extreme temperatures and weather conditions to the region. The species is listed as endangered by the Federal and Western Australian governments and is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is considered an iconic species in Australia, but its future is uncertain due to the ongoing threats to its habitat. Conservation efforts are focused on understanding the species' behaviour and protecting their remaining habitat to ensure their long-term survival.
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Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo: found in the south-west of Western Australia
The Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso), also known as Karrak, is a vulnerable subspecies of the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. It is native to Australia and found in the southwest of Western Australia, particularly in the area between Perth and Albany. This area includes the metropolitan areas of Perth, where the cockatoo species has taken up residency. The Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is a large bird, identified by its short, rounded crest, glossy black feathers, and red markings on its tail. The male of the species has a dark grey bill, while the female has a whitish bill and pale-yellow spots on the head and wings.
The Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is a seed eater and cavity nester, depending on trees with large diameters, particularly the Eucalyptus tree. They are often seen flying in small flocks high overhead and are known to feed on gumnuts. The species is under threat from habitat loss, competition for rare nesting hollows, and injury from European honeybees. Their population is declining, with fewer than 15,000 individuals alive in the wild.
The Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is one of five black cockatoo species found in Australia, all of which are under threat nationally. These species are the Baudin's, Carnaby's, Red-tail, Yellow-tail, and Glossy Black-Cockatoo. The Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo, found in the same region as the Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, is also considered endangered.
The Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is a subspecies of the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, which has five recognised subspecies across Australia. The other four subspecies are C. b. banksii in Queensland and northern New South Wales, C. b. graptogyne of Victoria and South Australia, C. b. macrorhynchus of northern Australia, and C. b. samueli, found in central Australia and parts of Western Australia. The two southern subspecies, the Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, are particularly under threat.
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Baudin's Black-Cockatoo: found in south-west Western Australia
Baudin's Black-Cockatoo is one of Australia's five black cockatoo species. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia, between Albany and Perth. This species has a preference for Jarrah and Marri forests and is often found in heavily forested areas. They breed in large hollows of old Karri and Marri trees, which are vital for cockatoos to breed in. Unfortunately, these hollows are being lost to fire and deforestation.
The Baudin's Black-Cockatoo is a large, greyish-black cockatoo with a large bill. Its body feathers are brownish-black, with narrow off-white tips, making the feathers look scalloped when viewed at close range. They have white patches on their cheeks and white panels on the tail that are particularly visible during flight. The males of the species are distinguished by rings of pink skin around the eyes and black bills, while the females have grey-black eye rings and bone-coloured bills.
The population of the Baudin's Black-Cockatoo is declining due to habitat degradation, the removal of nesting hollows, and the loss of food resources. The species is also facing threats from illegal shooting by orchardists, as they are known to damage crops. It is estimated that around 200 Baudin's cockatoos are shot each year, and this number may be much higher. The reproductive rate of the species is also slow, with each pair producing, on average, just one chick every two years.
Conservation efforts are underway to protect the Baudin's Black-Cockatoo. The WWF is working with Murdoch University on the Baudin's Telemetry Tracking Project, which involves fitting rehabilitated birds with telemetry trackers to monitor their movements and behaviour. Despite these efforts, the Baudin's Black-Cockatoo may be facing an uncertain future, with some predictions stating that the species may become extinct within our lifetime.
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South-eastern glossy black cockatoo: found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria
The south-eastern glossy black cockatoo is one of Australia's five black cockatoo species. It is found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, with an isolated population on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It is the smallest of the five species, with a brown-black head, a short, mohawk-like crest, and a vivid red or orange-red tail. The female, or 'flossie', has bright yellow patches on its head and tail, with red and black detailing.
The glossy black cockatoo is strongly associated with she-oak trees, which are its primary food source. It feeds almost exclusively on the seeds in the cones of these trees, using its large and bulbous bill to extract them. The birds are usually found in woodlands and open forests dominated by she-oak trees, and they require tree hollows in old, large eucalypt trees for nesting.
The glossy black cockatoo is a beloved species, featuring heavily in songlines and Dreaming stories and is a vital part of many language groups' Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Unfortunately, the species is vulnerable under national environmental law due to habitat loss from agricultural and urban developments, as well as the increasing frequency and intensity of bushfires.
In South Australia, glossy black cockatoos disappeared from the mainland in the 1970s due to extensive tree-clearing. WWF-Australia and other organisations are working to support the recovery of glossy black cockatoo populations by planting trees, conducting censuses, and implementing innovative artificial nest boxes.
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Red-tailed black cockatoo: found in the northern half of Australia
The red-tailed black cockatoo is one of Australia's five black cockatoo species, all of which fall into the genus Calyptorhynchus. It is native to Australia and principally occurs across the drier parts of the continent. It is widespread and abundant in a broad band across the northern half of the country, with more isolated populations in the south.
The red-tailed black cockatoo has five recognised subspecies, differing chiefly in beak size. The more northerly subspecies are widespread, while the two southern subspecies, the forest red-tailed black cockatoo and the south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo, are under threat. The forest red-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) is found in the southwest corner of Western Australia between Perth and Albany. This subspecies is vulnerable, with fewer than 15,000 individuals remaining in the wild. It is threatened by habitat loss, competition for rare nesting hollows, and injury from European honeybees. The south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne), the smallest of the five subspecies, is found in southwestern Victoria and southeastern South Australia. It is dependent on stands of Eucalyptus baxteri (brown stringybark), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river redgum), and Allocasuarina luehmannii (buloke) for feeding and nesting. This subspecies is in danger of extinction, with only 500-1000 individuals remaining.
Red-tailed black cockatoos are seed eaters and cavity nesters, depending on large, old eucalypts for nesting hollows. They are found in a wide variety of habitats, from shrublands and grasslands through eucalypt, sheoak, and Acacia woodlands, to dense tropical rainforests. In the northern parts of the Northern Territory, they tend to leave areas of high humidity during the summer wet season, while in other parts of the country, their seasonal movements tend to follow food sources.
The red-tailed black cockatoo is the most adaptable to aviculture of the black cockatoo species, although they are much rarer and more expensive in aviculture outside Australia. They are often seen flying in small flocks high overhead, sometimes alongside other cockatoos.
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Frequently asked questions
Black cockatoos are found across Australia, with 5 species recognised: Baudin's, Carnaby's, red-tail, yellow-tail, and glossy black.
The Baudin's black cockatoo is found in the south-west of Western Australia.
The Carnaby's black cockatoo is found in the south-west of Western Australia and is considered endangered.
The red-tailed black cockatoo is found in the northern half of Australia and in the south-west of Western Australia.
The glossy black cockatoo is found in eastern Australia, from eastern Queensland through NSW to eastern Victoria, and on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
