Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo

Pre-order

Pre-order

Add to cart
Category:

The Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo is classified as Endangered. This may surprise some people, as the species occurs over quite a wide area of south-western Western Australia, where they are often rather conspicuous, sometimes congregating into large flocks. They are even considered pests by some farmers when they descend onto crops of almonds and similar foods. However, their population has declined greatly in recent decades, due mostly to the loss and fragmentation of their preferred habitats, and they need the support of conservation programs to ensure their survival.

Description

The Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo is a large, dull-black cockatoo with a short erectile crest and a large bill. The bird is mostly grey-black, with narrow off-white fringes to the feathers, giving it a scaly appearance. This is relieved by a patch of cream-coloured feathers on the ear-coverts, and the tail has large white panels, especially noticeable when the bird is flying. The bill is grey-black on males and off-white on females; males have a pink eye-ring, and females have a grey one; and both sexes have greyish legs and feet, though the females’ are paler.

Similar Species

The Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo is very similar, being distinguished at close range by the shape of the bill (it is shorter and broader on Carnaby’s, barely extending below the tip of the lower mandible) and the exposure of the bill (the feathers of the cheeks often cover the lower mandible, obscuring its profile); and its calls (the contact calls of the Carnaby’s are said to be more drawn-out); and its habitat (Carnaby’s is usually in woodlands, while Baudin’s is usually in heavily forested areas, but there is some overlap).

The Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo has red panels in its tail-feathers and lacks a cream-coloured patch on the ear-coverts.

Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo in flight by Frank Spolc
Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo feeding by Claire Bartron

TOP