Did you realise that there are three different types of black cockatoo that you might see out and about here on the Sunshine Coast. The most commonly spotted is the Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo - with yellow tail feathers and a loud, distinctive call. The one that you are least likely to see, as they are usually found inland, is the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo - similar size to the Yellow-Tailed, with red tail feathers. And the most rare and endangered of the group is the Glossy Black Cockatoo - smaller and quieter than the other two species, with orangey-red tail feathers that differ depending on the age and sex of the bird.
Glossy Blacks are very fussy eaters, feeding only on 2 types of trees in this area, and only on a few specific trees within each species. They produce only one egg every 2 years, and young stay with their parents until they are 18 months old. As a result of their fussiness, and loss of food and habitat, numbers are in serious decline.
For more information about the Glossy Black Cockatoo, look here, and visit the Glossy Black Cockatoo Conservancy web page. The Conservancy is interested in any sightings of Glossy Blacks, and also in the locations of any food trees. Online reporting forms can be found on the Conservancy website - www.glossyblack.org.au. Or you can report any sightings or food tree locations to the Sunshine Coast Council - a member of the Conservancy group - and they will record the data on your behalf.
