Glossy Black Cockatoo

Photo by mehdhalaouate
Photographed: Noosa Heads, Australia

Calyptorhynchus lathami

Identification

The Glossy Black Cockatoo male is predominantly black with a dark brown head with striking caudal red patches. Female birds are duller in colour, with dominant flecks of yellow on the cheeks in breeding birds. The female has red barring on the tail. The smallest of Australia's "black" cockatoos adult birds will grow to be about 46-50cm in length. The birds are found in open forest and woodlands, and have a unique "creaking door" sound to their call.

Distribution

Australia.

Taxonomy

There are three subspecies of this bird that all occupy specific parts of the continent:

• Calyptorhynchus lathami erebus which is found in Central North Queensland from Eungella National Park near Mackay south to Monto in South Eastern Queensland.
• Calyptorhynchus lathami lathami found from Kingaroy and the Wide Bay District of South Eastern Queensland south to East Gippsland in Victoria.
• Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus found only on Kangaroo Island South Australia

Other names: At the species level, the Glossy Black-Cockatoo has also been known, in the past, as the Casuarina, Casuarine, Glossy or Latham's Cockatoo, Leach's Black-Cockatoo, Leach's Red-tailed Cockatoo, and the Nutcracker (Higgins 1999).

The Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Kangaroo Island) is considered to be a conventionally accepted subspecies of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo (C. lathami) (Schodde et al. 1993).

Habitat

All members of this species are sometimes referred to as the "Casuarina Cockatoo" a reference to the bird's preference for eating the cone seeds of the Allocasuarina and Casuarina or She Oak Trees.
Sadly these trees form the greater part of the bird's diet, but are regarded as "rubbish" by most people including developers, who wantonly destroy this habitat. In South Australia, where the birds live solely on Kangaroo Island, recent bushfires have destroyed a large part of the habitat and replanting efforts are continuing.

Conservation Status
In Queensland C.lathami lathami is considered vulnerable and in New South Wales the same status applies.
C.lathami erebus is considered to be sfae and maybe even increasing in numbers.
In VictoriaC.lathami lathami is listed as threatened.
The Kangaroo Island population of C.lathami halmaturinis is listed as endangered.
Nationwide, it is believed that less than 18,000 birds may still exist.

Behaviour

The Glossy Black Cockatoo is a specialist feeder preferring Casuarina seeds over all other foods, however they have been noted feeding on other seed trees.They lay one egg per season and the female stays with the egg until incubation is complete. These birds are dependant on remnant forest for breeding hollows close to water. They appear to form small family groups and seem to move their young away after the first year. The birds are easily cautious but easily approached and will sit feeding on one tree for an entire day. They are easily found when they have their young as the continual calling identifies where they are, however on their own are barely discernable in the casuarinas. They are fairly poor flyers and appear to "fall" from trees and roosts before taking flight. Spectacular flight displays are sometimes seen when the birds chase each other.

External Links

Search for photos of Glossy Black Cockatoo in the gallery

• View more images of this species on the ABID
• http://www.glossyblack.org.au = The Glossy Black Conservancy
• http://www.eungella.info = Information about Eungella N.P.
• http://www.tourkangarooisland.com.au = Information about Kangaroo Island