06
Aug
A loud, high-pitched wailing announces their arrival as they settle into the Banksia in my front garden. A family of six consisting of two adult males, two females and two alert and very talkative juveniles.
This variety of Cockatoo breeds in the Eucalypt forests along the coast or subalpine and then disperses through the neighbourhoods in flocks to feed. I would guess these have come from The Blue Mountains but I couldn’t be certain. What I do know is that we rarely see them around here so it was a lovely surprise to have them feeding for a few days in the front garden.
The female is distinguished by her white beak and dark eye, whereas the male has a black beak and pink circle of skin around his eye. The female has brighter and larger yellow wing patches.
Above, this juvenile was quite distressed that his Dad had flown off a made continuous loud wails, his Dad replying from a distance until he returned some minutes later to retrieve his young’n.
Below is a transitioning juvenile who will soon be an adult male.
Fun facts
The Yellow-tail Black Cockatoo are a large bird, adults weighing just under 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) with a wingspan of 45 cm (18 inches).
The breeding pair both construct the nest then the female stays behind to incubate the eggs whilst the male goes off to find their food. This goes on for 168 days. Incredible. You can find more fun facts on The Australian Museum website.
Decline
There has been a decline in recent years due to the clearing of their natural food source, which is why they seem to love our garden, it is full of native plants.
What you can do
Every time I hear a chain saw, I cringe. To be honest, sometimes I cry. I can only hope that people are doing the right thing and keeping or planting native plants for these wonderful birds. Birdlife Australia has more information and a petition to sign for stronger nature laws.
Meanwhile, keep planting natives and we will see more Black Cockatoo in the future.
Happy adventuring and like this Yellow-tail, keep smiling.
Nina x
