Scientific name:
Calyptorhynchus banksii
Other names:
Banksian Cockatoo, Banks’ Cockatoo
Status:
C.b.samueli Threatened in NSW, C.b.naso Near Threatened, C.b.graptogyne Critically Endangered
The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo is a large parrot native to Australia’s drier and more arid parts. They are around 60cm in length, and the species is sexually dimorphic, which means it’s very easy to tell the difference between males and females. Males are jet black with bright red panels on their tail, which gives the species their name. On the other hand, the females are covered in yellow spots and yellow-orange stripes through the chest and tail. There are 5 recognised subspecies, with differences in size and beak size the main distinguishing features between them. The smallest subspecies, the South-Eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, is the main focus of this info sheet.
It is found in various habitats, from shrublands and grasslands to sheoak, eucalypt and Acacia woodlands, and even some tropical rainforests. Here in Victoria, the South-Eastern subspecies is restricted to the mallee woodlands along the Vic/SA border.
The South-Eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo only occurs in the southeast of South Australia and southwest Victoria. Their total range covers an 18,000km² area from Nelson to the Little Desert National Park in Victoria and from Keith to Mount Gambier in SA.
South-Eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, like the other subspecies, are primarily seed-eaters and rely on plant species such as Brown Stringybark, River Redgum and Buloke for food.
The biggest threat to the South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo is habitat loss. Clearing of the tree species they rely on has left them without food or shelter, and most of the large trees they need are now found on private property. The removal of older trees also results in loss of nesting sites as this species needs tree hollows in order to nest and raise young. It can take well over 100 years for these trees to develop hollows, and many of the trees regularly used for nesting are over 200 years old. This means that regenerating suitable habitat is going to take centuries. They are also
There is currently a National Recovery Plan for this species. Artificial nest boxes are being used to try and replace lost tree hollows and give cockatoos access to suitable nest sites. There are also incentives on offer to landowners who protect and/or regenerate suitable habitat.
There is an annual count that takes place in multiple locations across the range of the South-Eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo in early May each year. Last year, 1193 birds were counted. This is up from the 839 counted the year before. It is estimated that there are around 1500 birds remaining in the wild.
Reptile Encounters would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people who are the Traditional Custodians of this Land.
We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present of the Kulin Nation and extend that respect to other Indigenous Australians.