Carnaby’s-black cockatoo, Carnaby’s cockatoo, Mallee cockatoo, Ngoolark, Short-billed black cockatoo, Short-billed black-cockatoo, Slender-billed black-cockatoo, Slender-billed cockatoo, White-tailed black cockatoo, White-tailed black-cockatoo, White-tail
Carnaby's black cockatoo (Zanda latirostris ), also known as the short-billed black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo endemic to southwest Australia. It was described in 1948 by naturalist Ivan Carnaby. Measuring 53–58 cm (21–23 in) in length, it has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly greyish black, and it has prominent white cheek patches and a white tail band. The body feathers are edged with white giving a scalloped appearance. Adult males have a dark grey beak and pink eye-rings. Adult females have a bone-coloured beak, grey eye-rings and ear patches that are paler than those of the males.
This cockatoo usually lays a clutch of one to two eggs. It generally takes 28 to 29 days for the female to incubate the eggs, and the young fledge ten to eleven weeks after hatching. The young will stay with the family until the next breeding season, and sometimes even longer. The family leaves the nesting site after the young fledge until the following year. Carnaby's black cockatoo forms flocks when not breeding, with birds in drier habitats usually being more migratory than those in wetter ones. It flies with deep and slow wingbeats, generally high above trees. Seeds of plants of the families Proteaceae and, to a lesser extent, Myrtaceae form a large part of its diet.
Carnaby's black cockatoo nests in hollows situated high in trees with fairly large diameters, generally Eucalyptus. With much of its habitat lost to land clearing and development and threatened by further habitat destruction, Carnaby's black cockatoo is listed as an endangered species by the Federal and Western Australian governments. It is also classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Like most parrots, it is protected by CITES, an international agreement that makes trade, export, and import of listed wild-caught species illegal.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withEndangered Carnaby’s black cockatoos belong to just two species in the world of white-tailed black cockatoos, the other being the Baudin’s black cockatoo. They both live only in the Southwest Australia Ecoregion. The Carnaby’s black cockatoo is a large, distinctive cockatoo of a dull black color with pale margins on its feathers. Their long tail feathers have white panels which are most easily seen when they are flying. Males have black beaks with a pink ring around their eyes, while females’ beaks are whitish and they have a gray eye-ring. They can easily be confused with the Baudin’s black cockatoo, but are distinguished by a comparatively shorter and broader beak, adapted for cracking hard seeds open.
Carnaby’s black-cockatoo is native to southwest Western Australia, and is found mainly between Esperance and Murchison River, and inland to Lake Cronin, Coorow and Kellerberrin. Outside the breeding season, these birds live in plantations of mainly pines, Eucalyptus woodlands, orchards, parks and gardens, and farmlands with scattered trees.
Carnaby’s black cockatoo lives in areas with higher rainfall. Birds living in the drier parts of the range travel westwards after the breeding season. They are noisy and conspicuous outside the breeding season when gathered in large flocks. During the breeding season, they are usually in pairs or a trio of one young with its parents. When the birds are feeding in a flock, one or two of them perch in nearby trees to give loud screeches in alarm if a predator or intruder approaches, whereupon the entire flock flies away. These cockatoos are rather arboreal, but may be seen low in stunted bushes. In cool weather they are active all day. In summer, they shelter from the midday heat in the shade of foliage, where they are invisible. Carnaby’s black cockatoos are noisy birds and can make a range of calls, a wailing high-pitched ‘whee-la’ being the most common. A harsh screech is the alarm call, and young birds constantly make a harsh wheezing sound.
Carnaby’s black cockatoos are predominantly herbivores (granivores), they mainly eat seeds, as well as weeds like wild radish and wild geranium. They also eat nectar from flowers and insect larvae.
This species is monogamous and mates form strong bonds for their whole adult life. July to September or to November is the breeding time, according to location. These birds nest in large eucalypt trees in hollows, usually 2 -10m or higher above the ground. Eggs are laid in wood chippings at the hollow’s base. Breeding pairs may come back to the same nesting area year after year. Females lay 1 to 2 white eggs. The second egg may be laid 2 to 8 days later than the first. Incubation is by the female and is for about 4 weeks. The male feeds her at the nest during this period. The altricial chicks are mainly fed by the female, and then by both parents after 2 to 3 weeks. Usually just one chick survives. Young fledge when they are around 10 to 11 weeks old, but they depend on their parents for several months. Once they fledge, the young and their parents move to a feeding area where they join a flock of several family groups.
Habitat destruction is a serious threat to this species, as the cutting down of trees destroys their nesting sites. They also face competition with introduced bees, corellas and galahs for nesting sites. These cockatoos have an extremely low reproductive rate, which means they cannot quickly replace large numbers of their population shot by farmers. They are also highly prized on the black market as pets. Chicks are often taken from nests, with trees cut down to reach the eggs and chicks in the nesting hollows.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Carnaby’s black cockatoo population size is around 40,000 individuals. Currently this species is classified as Endangered (EN) and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...