Bird
Carnaby's Black Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus latirostrisAlso known as Short-billed Black Cockatoo, Carnaby's Cockatoo
Carnaby's black cockatoos roam southwest Australia in noisy, nomadic flocks, tracking seasonal seed production across sprawling proteaceous heathlands and eucalypt woodlands. Mated pairs form devoted lifelong bonds, returning each winter to large, centuries-old tree hollows where the female incubates a single egg while the male commutes vast distances to bring her food. Their carrying, melancholic contact calls ring out over great distances as flocks fly lazily overhead with deep, buoyant wingbeats.
EndemicVocal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXEndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyBanksia seeds, Hakea seeds, Pine tree seeds
Predators
- Wedge-tailed eagle
- Peregrine falcon
- Feral cat
ThreatsLand clearing, loss of ancient nesting hollows, vehicle strikes, and hollow competition
HabitatsEucalypt woodlands, kwongan heathlands, and coastal pine plantations
Life span25–50 years
Classification
- FamilyPsittacidae
- SpeciesCalyptorhynchus latirostris
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for a large black cockatoo with conspicuous white cheek patches and broad white panels across the tail feathers.
- Support conservation
- Keep a generous distance from active nesting hollows and avoid disturbing flocks feeding in remnant roadside vegetation.
Responsible observation
- Listen carefully: Listen for high-pitched, drawn-out wailing flight calls to spot passing flocks high overhead.
- Scan tree hollows: Look for breeding pairs around large, dead salmon gums and wandoo eucalypts between July and December.
- Check food trees: Search under fruiting banksias and non-native pine plantations for freshly clipped seed cones.
Food Source (c) Peter Crowcroft, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Peter Crowcroft · cc-by
Competitor (c) Andrew Allen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andrew Allen · cc-by
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Close Relative (c) Michael Schmid, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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