Glossy Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus lathami
The Glossy Black-Cockatoo is the smallest black cockatoo in Australia. It has a dull blackish-brown plumage with a massive, bulbous bill and a short crest. Males have a prominent red tail panel, while that of females is yellow to orange-red. The coloured tail panel is barred black in juvenile birds, with the extent of barring decreasing with age. The female usually has irregular pale-yellow markings on the head and neck, and may have yellow flecks on the underparts and underwing.
Status
- Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable
- Commonwealth status: Vulnerable.
Habitat
Glossy Black-Cockatoos are usually seen in pairs or small groups feeding quietly in She-Oaks. Glossy Black-Cockatoos inhabit open forest and woodlands of the coast and the Great Dividing Range and in the Central West and Tablelands areas where stands of She-Oak and large hollow bearing trees occur for breeding habitat.
In the Riverina, Glossy Black-Cockatoos are associated with hills and rocky rises, but also recorded in open woodlands dominated by Belah (Casuarina cristata).
Diet
Glossy Black-Cockatoos feed almost exclusively on She-Oak species (Casuarina and Allocasuarina), some local favourites include:
- Casuarina cristata
- Allocasuarina verticillata
- A. gymanthera
- A. luemanni
- A. diminuta.
Breeding
Glossy Black-Cockatoos are dependent on large, hollow-bearing eucalypt trees for nest sites where a single egg is laid between March and May.
Why is the Glossy Black-Cockatoo Threatened?
- Habitat and feed-tree loss and fragmentation due to clearing of trees
- Competition for nests from Galahs and introduced honeybees
- Loss of living and dead hollow bearing trees
- Loss of habitat trees from fire damage during wildfire, hazard reduction and stubble burns
- Feral cats and possums, which raid the birds’ nests.
Protecting the Glossy Black-Cockatoo
Glossy Black-Cockatoos are a favourite amongst conservationists and the broader community, being well known for their gentle nature, quirky behaviour and distinct colouration. Central-Inland NSW is home to a significant, distinctive but declining Glossy Black-Cockatoo population concentrated in forest and woodland areas.
- Download the Birdlife Australia Glossy Black ID handbook.
Download the factsheet PDF, 716.06 KB.
For more information, contact:
South-East Local Land Services:
Andy Taylor, Senior Natural Resource Management Advisor
E: andy.taylor@lls.nsw.gov.au
Central Tablelands Local Land Services
Katie McPherson, Senior Land Services Officer
E: kate.a.mcpherson@lls.nsw.gov.au
Central West Local Land Services
Libby McIntyre, Senior Land Services Office
E: libby.mcintyre@lls.nsw.gov.au
See more natural resource management projects supporting habitat rejuvenation for our native plants and animals in NSW.
Bringing back the Glossy Black Project
Project Overview
Once abundant, the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo population is rapidly declining, predominantly due to land clearing practices that have removed food sources and nesting sites, leading to local extinctions and range contractions.
The 2019-20 mega fires that devasted much of eastern Australia have had a major impact on the feeding resources and available habitat for the (South-eastern) Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo population. This has resulted in this subspecies to be recently listed as vulnerable under the federal EPBC Act.
Local Land Services, in collaboration with Charles Sturt University and Habitat Innovation & Management will supply and install 35 specifically designed Habitech Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo nest boxes on private and public land throughout the Central Tablelands and Central West regions through the Bringing Back the Glossy Black project.
This project aims to raise community awareness of the current threats to the Great Glossy-Black Cockatoo by facilitating workshops with rural landholders and the broader community. Partnering with Charles Sturt University will also establish the project for further research and monitoring of the success of the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo nest boxes, including an increased understanding of the specific ecological requirements for these birds when selecting a nesting site.
Project Partners
Local Land Services is partnering with Charles Sturt University and Habitat Innovation & Management to deliver the Bringing Back the Glossy Black Project.
This project received grant funding from WIRES through its annual National Grants Program.
Habitech Nest Boxes
With the ongoing decline in numbers of the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo, the Habitat Innovation & Management team, in consultation with several Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo experts, have designed and developed a nest box to the exact specifications the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo requires. This includes depth and width of hollow, angle and features of entrance spout. These nest boxes are currently under development and will be manufactured using the same thermally stable material as the current modular Habitech nest boxes.
What we're doing on the ground
In 2023, landholders will be engaged and 35 nest boxes installed at a minimum of 8 targeted locations where ornithological experts anticipate the greatest chance of successful breeding of Glossy-Black Cockatoos.
Two field days will be hosted, one in the Central Tablelands LLS region and a second within the Central West LLS region.
Educational and promotional materials will be produced to increase the understanding and the plight of the Glossy-Black Cockatoo, and the importance of retaining feeding habitat and hollow bearing trees.
How to get involved
Local Land Services are seeking appropriate sites to install the nest boxes. Before you get in touch, please fill out your contact details and the 5-question survey on our online form.
Citizen Science
If you would like to get involved with monitoring the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo through citizen science, there are two apps we recommend using:
If you would like to you can also listen to the call of a Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo.
For further information about the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo, please visit The Glossy Black Conservancy website.
More information
For more information on this project, contact Katie McPherson, Senior Land Services Officer with Central Tablelands Local Land Services via kate.a.mcpherson@lls.nsw.gov.au