Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Of Western Australia

Calyptorhynchus banksii naso

The IUCN Redlist lists this animal as  Endangered
 

 Near Threatened 

Female in the background and the male eating seeds at Armadale Reptile Park, Perth

There are 5 different subspecies in Australia of the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.  The Calytorhynchus. b. samueli is found in the Pilbara and Mid-west of WA, the Calyptorhynchus banksii macrorhynchus is found in the north Kimberley WA and the Calyptorhynchus banksii naso is found in the south-west of WA.

The EPBC lists the south-eastern Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne as endangered.

length 54-74 cm.

 The south-west Red-tailed Black Cockatoo's have the red tail and the Kimberley birds have a yellow banded tail.

Female

Photographed at the Armadale Reptile Park, Perth

Male

 What do they eat? 

They eat the seeds from the Marri/ Gum tree (Gum nuts) and seeds from the Jarrah tree.

I observed 5 Red-tailed Black Cockatoo's feeding on a Marri tree at Bungendore Park in Perth and it sounded like someone popping that bubble rap as they effortlessly crack open these tough seed pods.

This is a Gum nut seed pod I picked up off the ground.

Bungendore Park, Perth in May

Wungong Dam Perth Where these birds are seen

Currabungup Road south-west in November

In Western Australia they are found they live in eucalypt Jarrah, Marri and Karri forests and woodlands in the Kimberley and South-west, such as the Wungong Dam and Bundengore Park on Albany Hwy near Perth.  

The North-west subspecies live around rivers.

They are not found north of Perth or on the Swan Coastal Plain in any  large numbers any more.

They are not endemic to Western Australia.

The breeding season is different.  In the north Kimberley region it is from March to September and in the south-west it is from July to October.

The birds do not breed until they are mature at about 4-5 years of age.

The female can lay one or sometimes two eggs in a tree hollow (of the Jarrah, Marri, karri and Wandoo trees) but only one chick is raised.  The female will incubate the egg alone.  It takes one month for the egg to hatch.

The young will stay with its parents dependant for approx three months after the chick has fledged.

I would think carefully before putting my fingers anywhere near this guy's beak! Photographed by Mary Heslen at the Armadale Reptile Centre, Perth.

This is a feather from the Forest/ Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Go Here to hear these birds http://www.michaelmorcombe.com.au/redtailedblackco.html  

Other places I have seen these birds;

Serpentine Darling Range Perth
Bannister Road Albany Hwy Perth in October
Mundaring Perth in June
Mills Road off the Old Bunbury Road in November
Jarradale on growth area of Stacey's Track June