Cockatoo Calls Report a sighting Gang-gang Cockatoo

Black-cockatoos are often heard before they’re seen, If you see a Glossy or Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo in Glossy Black-Cockatoo and can be reliably distinguished from one another the South East, we’d love to hear from you. We’re Identifying by their calls. Click on the link to find out more and to particularly interested in sightings of Glossy Black- Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo listen to their calls. Cockatoos in East Gippsland and eastern NSW. When reporting a sighting, please provide as much South-Eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Glossy Black-Cockatoo information as possible, including date and time of A soft, drawn-out, wheezing and grating the sighting, location (preferably a grid reference), kee-aiirrk or airrk. how many were seen, and what the were doing Black-Cockatoos Find out more (feeding, nesting, flying, drinking, etc). Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Contact details A raucous, metallic, far-carrying, drawn out karraak or airrk (like a ‘rusty windmill’). Also a To report sightings of Glossy and Red-tailed husky or squeaky, whistling kreeeeeik. Black-Cockatoos please use the contacts below: Find out more Glossy Black-Cockatoo: [email protected] Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo: for sightings in South A loud, distinctive wailing wee yu or wy-la, or and email [email protected] a loud, harsh screech kee-ow… kee-ow. Often or freecall 1800 262 062, or report your sighting via noisy in flight. www.redtail.com.au Find out more

Gang-gang Cockatoo A long, drawn out, creaky gr-raer-iriek, usually given in flight. Also make a soft growl when feeding. Black-cockatoos Find out more Standing together to stop extinctions BirdLife Australia is dedicated to achieving of the South East outstanding conservation results for our native birds and their habitats. With our specialised Black-cockatoos inhabit many habitats across knowledge and the commitment of an Australia- Australia, ranging from arid and semi-arid rangelands wide network of volunteers and supporters, we to tropical rainforests, and open forests and are creating a bright future for Australia’s birds. woodlands dominated by eucalypts and casuarinas. There are three of black-cockatoos in south-eastern Australia: Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Add your voice Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo and Red-tailed Black- Cockatoo. All are endemic to Australia, and their distributions overlap in some parts of their range. Though not a true black-cockatoo, the Gang-gang join volunteer donate Cockatoo has also been included here. Black-cockatoos have robust bills which can crack open hard seedpods that other birds can’t; they also use their bills to gouge out insect larvae from wood. birdlife.org.au Familiarity with their appearance, calls, habitat use, diet and social behaviour are key in helping observers distinguish between different species of black- cockatoos. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo BirdLife Australia by Thomas Hunt Suite 2–05, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053 Male Glossy Black-Cockatoo T 03 9347 0757 | [email protected] by Jan Wegener ABN 75 149 124 774 Gang-gang Cockatoos by David Stowe

Hollows are homes Black-cockatoos nest in large tree hollows (15-50cm in diameter) in old, large eucalypts, 50 cm 35 cm 67 cm 60 cm tall tall tall tall which are usually located near food and water sources. Hollows are in short supply, due to the Magpie loss of suitable hollow bearing trees. Black- 40 cm cockatoos pair for life, often re-using long the same hollow year after year. Glossy Gang-gang Yellow-tailed Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Cockatoo Black-Cockatoo Black-Cockatoo Approximate size comparison

Glossy Black-Cockatoo Gang-gang Cockatoo Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo

Look out for: Dull-black body with on the Look out for: Stocky, slate-grey cockatoo. Both sexes Look out for: Pale-yellow cheek-patches and yellow Look out for: Males are black with red panels in the head, neck and underparts fringed brown. Males have a wispy , red in males (together with red tail panels (flecked with black in females) which tail. They have a helmet-like crest and a grey bill. have solid, bright-red panels in the tail and a grey bill; head), but wholly grey in females. contrast with their otherwise black . They Females are dusky black-brown, with pale-yellow females have irregular yellow patches or flecks on Habitat: In summer, tall heavily-timbered mountain have a short crest. speckles on the head, neck and wings; underparts the head and neck; and tails have red, light-orange or forests and woodlands with dense shrubs; sub-alpine Habitat: They inhabit numerous habitats, especially with pale yellow/orange barring; and black barring yellow panels with black barring. woodlands, temperate rainforests. In winter, open forests and woodlands dominated by eucalypts, across yellow to orange/red panels in the tail. The bill Habitat: Woodlands and open forests dominated by eucalypt forests and woodlands; parks and gardens. and she-oaks; also pine plantations and is off-white. she-oaks. Food: Seeds and berries of native and introduced urban parks. Habitat: Various treed habitats. In Vic and SA, mainly Food: Feed almost exclusively on the seeds of trees and shrubs, especially eucalypts and wattles, Food: Seeds of many native trees and shrubs, as well eucalypt forests and heathy woodlands. In semi-arid she-oaks. and exotic hawthorn and cotoneaster. Insect larvae. as exotic pines. They also dig out wood-boring insect woodlands, riparian eucalypts and savanna along the Darling River. Notes: Often quiet and inconspicuous when feeding. Notes: More closely related to than black- larvae from trees using their bills. Can be closely approached. Usually seen in pairs cockatoos. Usually seen in small flocks; sometimes Notes: Buoyant flight, with slow, deep wingbeats and Food: Seeds of native trees and shrubs, mainly or small groups. Their flight appears ‘lazy’. The soft form flocks of up to 60 in winter. Often quiet and floating glides. Quiet when feeding; sometimes the eucalypts, casuarinas and banksias; in the South East, clicking of their bills as they feed and the debris of difficult to spot among dense foliage; listen for their only noise is made by debris falling to the ground usually stringybarks and bulokes. seedpods and twigs beneath food trees are good soft, growling calls. Spend summer in the mountains, below; noisy and gregarious at other times. Seen in Notes: Social and conspicuous. Seen alone or in indicators of their presence. moving to lowlands for winter. family groups, and flocks during winter, sometimes parties of 2 to 3 birds during spring to early summer comprising hundreds of birds. (breeding season). Flocks of up to 250 birds in autumn and winter. Glossy Black-Cockatoo photos: Gang-gang Cockatoo photos: Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo photos: Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo photos: Chris Tzaros & Jan Wegener David Stowe, Jan Wegener & Patrick Tomkins Shutterstock, Jan Wegener & Ken Griffiths Bob McPherson & Rob Drummond

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