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Glossy Black Cockatoo  (Calyptorhynchus lathami)

Also Known As: Glossy Cockatoo, Leach's Black Cockatoo, Leach's Red-tailed Cockatoo, Latham's Cockatoo, Casuarina Cockatoo
 
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Glossy Black Cockatoo pair

Credit: © Ian Montgomery | http://birdway.com.au
 
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Did You Know?
The Glossy Black Cockatoo has a different, more friendly personality (hand-raised birds) than its cousins the White-tailed and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, which are more aloof.

Status in the Wild
World Population:
Around 17,000

Range:
C.l. lathami:/ E Australia from lat. 26S in SW Queensland south to E Victoria.
C.l. halmaturinus: Restricted to Kangaroo Island, S Australia. Formerly in Mount Lofty.
C.l. erebus: CE Queensland, in Dawson-Mackenzie-Isaac Rivers basin, and possibly west of Paluma Range in NE Queensland.


Habitat:
Found around Casuarina or Allocasuarina trees. Also prefers eucalyptus woodland in high ranges. Occurs in riverine woodland, dense forest, semi-arid woods, coastal forest, wet and dry sclerophyll forest and brigalow scrub.

Threat Summary:
Habitat loss, trapping for wild bird trade, habitat degradation and fragmentation.

IUCN Rating:
Least concern, however, erebus numbers only around 5000 individuals and halmaturinus has only 70 breeding pairs and is restricted to Kangaroo Island.

Wild Diet:
Specializes on casuarinas and allocasuarinas, taking the cones from each. Also noted taking fruit, wood-boring grubs, sunflower Helianthus seeds, acacia, banksia and eucalypt seeds.

CITES Rating:
Appendix II

Ecology:
Resident, but may move locally after breeding. Found in small, quiet groups of up to 20 birds but usually in smaller parties of 2to 10. Often found in groups of two adults and one immature. Will congregate to feed. Not found in large flocks in open areas. Pair bond is strong.

Clutch and Egg Size:
1 ovate egg, 44.5 x 33.5mm (1.7 x 1.3 in).

Breeding Season:
March-August

Links to Other Project(s):
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/c-lathami-halmaturinus/index.html

More Info Sites:
http://www.santafe.edu/~jpepper/thesis/00-Front.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossy_Black_Cockatoo

http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder/display.cfm?id=100

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/nature/landholderNotes02GlossyBlackCockatoo.pdf