Glossy Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus lathami
Smaller brownish-black cockatoo of eastern Australia. Male fairly plain except for bright red tail panels. Female has blotchy yellow patches on neck and face and orange-red tail panels. Large bill used to feed on Allocasuarina and Casuarina seeds. The species is entirely dependent on these trees, and recently chewed seed-cones are good indicators of their presence. Usually observed in small groups rather than large flocks. Calls include drawn-out notes with a rougher, croakier tone than Red-tailed and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos.
Identification
Like the related red-tailed black cockatoo, this species is sexually dimorphic. The male glossy black cockatoo is predominantly black with a chocolate-brown head and striking caudal red patches. The female is a duller dark brown, with flecks of yellow in the tail and collar. The female's tail is barred whereas the male's tail is patched. An adult will grow to be about 46–50 cm (18–19.5 in) in length. The birds are found in open forest and woodlands, and usually feed on seeds of the she-oak (Casuarina spp.)
Taxonomy
The glossy black cockatoo was first described by Dutch naturalist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1807. The scientific name honours the English ornithologist John Latham.<p>The glossy black cockatoo's closest relative is the red-tailed black cockatoo; the two species form the genus Calyptorhynchus. They are distinguished from the other black cockatoos of the genus Zanda by different tail colour and head pattern, significant sexual dimorphism, and differences in two juvenile call types, a squeaking begging call and a vocalization when swallowing food.<p>Three subspecies were proposed by Schodde et al. in 1993, although in 2002 parrot expert Joseph Forshaw had reservations due to their extremely minimal differences. Saunders and Pickup's (2023) detailed analysis of the species throughout its range demonstated there was no differentiation in bill morphology, little difference in genetic makeup, no differences in plumage pattern or colour, and no differences in diet, supporting Forshaw's reservations and they concluded the species is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Calyptorhynchus lathami
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1807)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Cacatuidae
- Genus
- Calyptorhynchus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
Like most species of parrots, the glossy black cockatoo is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) with its placement on the Appendix II list of vulnerable species, which makes the import, export, and trade of listed wild-caught animals illegal.<p>Glossy black cockatoos generally are not listed as threatened on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, however the Kangaroo Island subspecies (C. l. halmaturinis) was added to the list as endangered.<p>C. l. lathami is listed as vulnerable by the Queensland, Environmental Protection Agency.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Bismarck Honeyeater
Vosea whitemanensis
A relatively distinctive honeyeater, olive-brown overall with a darker cast to the face and obvious pale bare skin surrounding and extending slightly behind the eye. Bill is long and conspicuously downturned. Found in primary montane forest, forest edge, and occasionally gardens above 900 meters of elevation. Voice is reportedly a sequence of 3-8 soft whistled 2-syllabled notes, but little known.
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Lepidocolaptes souleyetii
Medium-size, fairly common woodcreeper of tropical lowlands. Favors forest edge, open woodland, hedges with tall trees. Feeds on trunks and larger branches, often spiraling up one trunk and flying low to the next tree. Note the relatively slender and slightly decurved bill, distinct but fine pale streaking on the head and back. Easily confused with larger Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, which is more of a forest bird and has a bigger and straighter bill.
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Large black crow relative with a slender, curved red bill. Found in pairs or groups around cliffs and in adjacent grassy pastures, grasslands, and fields. Flight acrobatic, wheeling and swooping in updrafts. Distinctive if seen well, with bright red bill and legs. Juvenile has a shorter, yellowish bill—compare with Yellow-billed Chough. Often shares its range with other dark corvids, such as crows and jackdaws; in flight, present species’ broad, deeply fingered wings. Gives a variety of calls, including a loud “chaw!”, as well as higher-pitched gull-like mewing calls.
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