The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo is a large, glossy black parrot of Australia, named for the vivid red or orange-red panels in the tail of the male. Loud, sociable and often seen in noisy flocks, it is one of the most striking birds of the Australian bush, wheeling overhead with slow, deep wingbeats and far-carrying calls. Males are almost entirely black with bright red tail bands, while females are more intricately marked with yellow spotting and barring.
The species is widespread across northern and inland Australia, with several distinct subspecies that vary in size and habitat. While the species as a whole is common and secure, some southern populations, such as the south-eastern forest race, are small and threatened by clearing of the old trees they depend on for food and nesting. This makes the bird both a familiar sight across much of the continent and a conservation concern in particular regions.
An all-black cockatoo with a prominent crest and broad tail is the starting point; the diagnostic feature is the colour in the tail. Males show clean scarlet-to-orange tail panels, while females and young birds show yellow-orange barring in the tail and fine yellow spotting on the head and wings.
| Size | Large cockatoo, 50-65 cm long with a wingspan around 90 cm |
| Male | Glossy black with bright red panels in the tail |
| Female | Brownish-black with yellow spotting and orange-yellow barred tail panels |
| Crest | Rounded erectile crest raised when alarmed or displaying |
| Bill | Heavy; dark grey in males, paler horn-coloured in females |
| Flight | Slow, deep, buoyant wingbeats with loud rolling calls |
The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo has a distinctive rolling, metallic call, often rendered as a drawn-out kree or krurr given both in flight and while perched. Flocks are highly vocal and their far-carrying calls are a characteristic sound of the Australian bush. At close range birds also give softer growls and chattering notes while feeding or interacting.
The species is found across much of northern, western and inland Australia, ranging from open eucalypt woodland and savanna to riverine trees, agricultural country and, in the south-east, tall forest. Different subspecies occupy different regions and habitats, from the arid interior to wetter forested areas. Many populations move seasonally in search of seeding trees, so numbers in a given area can fluctuate.
Red-tailed Black Cockatoos feed largely on the seeds of trees and shrubs, using their powerful bills to crack open hard eucalypt gum-nuts, casuarina cones and the fruits of various other native and introduced plants. They also take seeds of acacias, grasses and some cultivated crops, and will feed both in the canopy and on the ground. Their dependence on particular seeding trees strongly influences their movements and local abundance.
These cockatoos nest in large hollows high in old eucalypts, often near water. The female usually lays a single egg and does most of the incubation, being fed by the male, and the pair raise one chick that remains dependent for several months after fledging. Because suitable nest hollows take many decades to form, the loss of old trees is a serious threat to breeding, particularly for the smaller southern subspecies.
- Glossy Black Cockatoo: A smaller black cockatoo of eastern Australia with a brownish head and casuarina-seed diet
- Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo: A large black cockatoo with yellow rather than red tail panels and a yellow cheek patch
- Carnaby's Black Cockatoo: A white-tailed black cockatoo of south-western Australia in the same genus
How do you tell male and female Red-tailed Black Cockatoos apart?
Males are glossy black with solid red tail panels, while females are duller with yellow spotting on the head and wings and orange-yellow barred tail panels.
What do Red-tailed Black Cockatoos eat?
They feed mainly on seeds, cracking open eucalypt gum-nuts, casuarina cones and other hard fruits with their strong bills.
Are Red-tailed Black Cockatoos endangered?
The species overall is common and Least Concern, but some southern subspecies are small and threatened by the loss of old feeding and nesting trees.
Why is it called the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo?
The name comes from the bright red tail panels of the males, which flash conspicuously in flight.