Carnaby's Cockatoo

Carnaby's Cockatoo

Calyptorhynchus latirostris

Image of a female Carnaby's Cockatoo feeding

Female Carnaby's Cockatoo feeding
Image copyright Tony Kirkby, WA Museum 

Download Carnaby's Cockatoo factsheet [PDF 494kb]

Other names

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo and Short-billed Black Cockatoo. Named in honour of oologist and naturalist Ivan Carnaby (1908–1974).

Threatened Status

“Listed Endangered: Schedule 1 – Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act”.
“Endangered: under Federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act”.

It is uncommon to common in wetter parts of its range, scarce and patchily distributed in driest parts of range. Usually in pairs or small flocks, occasionally large flocks or aggregations up to 5,000 in non-breeding season especially at pine plantations. It has declined in the last 50 years due to habitat loss and destruction, especially large-scale clearing in much of the wheatbelt and Banksia and Tuart woodlands on the Swan Coastal Plain.

Description

Length 53–58 cm. Weight 500–790g.

Adult male

Male Carnaby's Cockatoo

Male Carnaby's Cockatoo
Image copyright Keith Lightbody, WA Museum 

Mostly brownish black, the feathers tipped with dusky white giving a scalloped appearance; ear coverts dusky white; white band towards tip of tail, broken in middle; bill black; bare skin around eye pink.

Adult female

Image of a female Carnaby's Cockatoo feeding

Carnaby's Cockatoo - in flight
Image copyright Tony Kirkby, WA Museum 

Like male but differs in having the ear coverts yellowish white; bill greyish white or grey with a black tip and eye skin grey. Upper bill broader and shorter than Baudin's Cockatoo.

Breeding

Mainly in wheatbelt, in hollows of old smooth-barked eucalypts including Salmon Gum and Wandoo. Also Tuart, Flooded Gum and Karri as well as Bullich and Marri. Eggs laid on wood dust or chips at bottom of hollow from early July to December. Clutch 1–2 (usually only one young reared) and only the female incubates and broods the chick.

Life span

25–50 years.

Distribution

Occurs in south-west north to lower Murchison and east to Nabawa, Wilroy, Waddi Forest, Manmanning, Durokoppin, Lake Cronin and just east of Condingup. Endemic to Western Australia.

Habitat and food:

Woodlands and scrubs of semiarid interior of Western Australia, in non-breeding season wandering in flocks to coastal areas, especially pine plantations and Banksia woodlands. Food includes the flowers, nectar and seeds of Banksia, Dryandra, Hakea, Eucalyptus, Corymbia, Grevillea, also seeds of Pinus, fruiting nut trees especially almonds and macadamias, the flesh and juice of apples and persimmons and insect larvae.

Threats to the species:

Direct causes of population decline include land clearing and fragmentation of habitat (especially in wheatbelt), the loss of hollow-bearing trees and impact of climate change and of hollow competitors including Galah, corellas and feral European honey bee, also fires and vehicle strikes.

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Carnaby's Cockatoo - English - Info Sheet.pdf493.84 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Arabic language اللغة العربية- Info Sheet.pdf604.86 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Chinese Simplified - Info Sheet.pdf558.68 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Chinese Traditional - Info Sheet.pdf583.42 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Dutch - Info Sheet.pdf497.85 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - French - Info Sheet.pdf468.77 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - German - Info Sheet.pdf453.67 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Indonesian - Info Sheet.pdf449.45 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Italian - Info sheet.pdf450.51 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Japanese - Info Sheet.pdf603.12 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Korean - Info Sheet.pdf526.49 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Polish - Info Sheet.pdf446.78 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Português Brasil - Info Sheet.pdf455.53 KB
Carnaby's Cockatoo - Spanish - Info Sheet.pdf443.09 KB