Yellow-tailed black cockatoo fact sheet – garad | Field of Mars EEC

What are yellow-tailed black cockatoos?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos are large black cockatoos with broad wings, yellow cheek patches and bright yellow panels in their tails. Their scientific name is Calyptorhynchus funereus. They are one of Australia’s largest parrots and are often seen flying slowly above forests, parks and suburban trees.

Students may notice yellow-tailed black cockatoos before they see them because their long, carrying calls travel across the canopy. In Sydney, they may move through Field of Mars Reserve, Lane Cove National Park and nearby suburbs where tall trees, banksias, casuarinas and pine trees provide food and shelter.

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos often travel in pairs, family groups or small flocks. Black cockatoos are known as garad in Darug language, and their calls and movements are part of the seasonal changes noticed in local Country.

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo.

A female yellow-tailed black cockatoo perched in a eucalypt tree.

Where do yellow-tailed black cockatoos live?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos live in south-eastern Australia, including eastern New South Wales. They use eucalypt forests, woodlands, heathland, coastal bushland, pine plantations and large parks where there are tall trees for feeding, resting and nesting.

In Sydney, they may move through bushland corridors, reserves and suburbs as they search for food. Students may see them flying over Field of Mars Reserve, Lane Cove National Park or nearby streets, especially where older trees and native food plants remain.

A female yellow-tailed black cockatoo perched in a banksia plant.

What do yellow-tailed black cockatoos eat?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos eat seeds from native plants such as banksias, hakeas and casuarinas. They also feed on pine cones and may visit parks, gardens and pine plantations when food is available.

Their strong curved beaks help them tear into hard seed pods, cones and soft timber. They also dig into wood to find beetle larvae and other wood-boring insects, connecting trees, insects, seeds and birds in the food web.

A female yellow-tailed black cockatoo feeds from a banksia cone.

What do yellow-tailed black cockatoos sound like?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos have a loud, far-carrying call that is often written as kee-ow. Their call can sound like a long whistle or creak and is often heard before the birds appear above the trees.

These calls help birds stay in contact while flying, feeding or moving between trees. Listening for their calls is one of the easiest ways for students to notice when yellow-tailed black cockatoos are nearby.

What is the life cycle of yellow-tailed black cockatoos?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos nest in large hollows in old trees. The female lays eggs in the hollow and does most of the incubating while the male brings food to her.

Although two eggs may be laid, usually only one chick survives. The young bird grows inside the hollow before leaving the nest after about three months, then stays with its parents for several more months while it learns to feed and move safely through the landscape.

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo peeks out from a tree hollow.

What adaptations do yellow-tailed black cockatoos have to help them survive?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos have strong curved beaks for breaking into seed pods, pine cones and soft timber. Their feet grip branches and hold food while they feed high in the canopy.

Their broad wings help them fly steadily across forests, reserves and suburbs. Their loud calls help group members keep in contact over long distances, while their dark feathers can make them harder to see when they are perched in shaded branches.

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo spreads its long wings in flight.

Why are yellow-tailed black cockatoos important?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos are part of bushland food webs. They feed on seeds and insect larvae, and their feeding can leave opened cones, seed pods and timber that show where they have been active.

They also remind us why old trees, native shrubs and connected bushland matter. Large hollow-bearing trees can take many decades to form and are important for cockatoos, owls, parrots, possums, microbats and many other animals.

A pair of yellow-tailed black cockatoos perched close together.

How can you help yellow-tailed black cockatoos?

You can help yellow-tailed black cockatoos by protecting old trees, especially trees with hollows. These trees provide nesting and shelter places that are difficult to replace.

Planting local native shrubs and trees such as banksias, hakeas, casuarinas and eucalypts can also help provide food and habitat. Students can stay on tracks, keep dogs under control, reduce litter and record bird sightings to help scientists understand where yellow-tailed black cockatoos are moving and feeding.

A male yellow-tailed black cockatoo feeds on a fallen banksia cone.

Related fact sheets

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• Birds fact sheet – Learn about bird features, life cycles, habitats and adaptations.
• Sulphur-crested cockatoo fact sheet – Compare another large cockatoo with a strong beak and loud calls.
• Rainbow lorikeet fact sheet – Explore another tree-feeding parrot found in Sydney bushland, parks and gardens.
• Crimson rosella fact sheet – Learn about another parrot that feeds in trees and nests in hollows.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Tree habitats fact sheet – Explore how tree canopies, bark, flowers, seeds and hollows support wildlife.
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet – Discover the forest habitat where yellow-tailed black cockatoos may feed, perch and move through the canopy.
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – Learn about local bushland habitats that support native birds and other wildlife.

Animals that share this habitat

• Powerful owl fact sheet – Find out about another large bird that depends on old trees and connected bushland.
• Common brushtail possum fact sheet – Learn about a nocturnal mammal that uses tree hollows and forest habitats.
• Common ringtail possum fact sheet – Discover a tree-dwelling mammal found in Sydney bushland and gardens.

Food webs and ecological relationships

• Old man banksia fact sheet – Explore a native plant that provides food for yellow-tailed black cockatoos and other wildlife.
• Insects fact sheet – Learn about small animals that are part of many bird food webs.
• Plant fact sheets – Discover native plants that provide seeds, flowers, nectar, shelter and habitat.

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