Carnaby's Black Cockatoo

Zanda latirostris. One of the Noongar names: Ngolyenok

Fast Facts:

Status: Endangered under federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, Western Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Redlist
Status reason/threats: Removal of trees with suitable nesting hollows and reduction of food-source trees
Food preference: Seeds, nectar, insect larvae
Breeding season: July - December

Habitat

Non-breeding season (January to June) flocks roost at established sites on the Swan Coastal Plain. They leave early morning to forage and live life, following established routes. Return each evening to roost for the night
Breeding season: Flocks leave the Plain for the inland wheatbelt to breed. Trees with suitable hollows are at least 130 years old
Will breed in artificial hollows erected in traditional breeding areas
Note that artificial nesting hollows should not be erected in the city and suburbs – it’s dangerous due to traffic hazards

Roost sites

Usually in introduced tall Eucalyptus trees, close to available water and remnant Banksia bushland
Local sites include Perry Lakes or Hollywood Hospital site, depending on food availability and wind
Numbers peak March - May

Food·

Most common: Seeds, nectar and/or insect larvae within Banksia, Marri, Tuart, Peppermint, Hakea, Eucalyptus, Grevillea, Callistemon and nut trees, especially pecan, almonds and macadamias
Exotic tree seeds of Liquidambar, Tipuana, Kaffir Plum and Olive·
Learnt to rely on pine seeds because of extensive clearing of native food-bearing trees

Water

Need to drink every day
Sources in inner city suburbs include East and West Lakes of Perry Lakes Reserve, bird waterers, suburban bird baths, water-filled house gutters, puddles on roads and carparks
They also frequent sheep wells and troughs located within CSIRO and UWA Research Land close to Perry Lakes

Image reproduced with permission of Margaret Owen

Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Calyptorhynchus naso. Noongar name: Karrak, mimicking its call.

Fast Facts

Status: Vulnerable under both the Federal EPBC Act and the WA Wildlife Conservation Act
Status reason/threats: Removal of trees with suitable nesting hollows and reduction of food-source trees
Food preference: Pips, seeds, nectar
Breeding season: March - December

Habitat

Range has changed over recent years
From around 2005, they started moving out of the Jarrah forests onto the Swan Coastal Plain, feeding on Cape Lilac berries and moving further onto the Plain each year. Return to the forest to lay eggs during the breeding season, over a patchily distributed range that has become markedly reduced over time (Source: WA Museum)

Roost sites

Major site: UWA Sports Park, Brockway and McGillivray Roads where they roost in tall Eucalypts planted around the four sides of the sports park
When numbers are the highest (>800), they spill over to UWA land on the east side of Brockway Road
Other roost sites are within Perry Lakes in tall trees adjacent to the Girl Guides Hall and in trees around the East Lake

Breeding

Eggs are laid in tree hollows from March to December.
Jarrah forests are the traditional breeding areas, but they sometimes nest elsewhere
Local news: A pair nested in a Flooded gum Eucalyptus rudis in Perry Lakes in August 2021 and one of the young fledged. The offspring’s first flight was in the early evening from the nest tree near Oceanic Drive to tall trees near the Girl Guides Hall in Perry Lakes - a strong flight of around 350m

Food

Firm favourite: Jarrah seeds
Pips of Cape Lilac and Olive
Seeds/nectar of Eucalypts - particularly Jarrah, Marri and Eucalyptus caesia - and Sheoaks
Nibble leaves of Tamarisk trees

Water

Image reproduced with permission of Margaret Owen