Central Australia BirdsCentral Australia Birds — Index Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis) Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)
The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) is a grey-black to glossy black in colour with an erectile crest, that forms a rounded helmet shape when it is raised and pushed forward. They are endemic to Australia.
Whilst not as common as some of our other endemic Central Australia parrot species, they are a popular bird to observe and can sometimes be noisy, especially when in groups.
The male Red-tailed Black Cockatoo has bright red panels in its tail, whilst the female cockatoo have a more yellow-orange-red barred panels in its tail. The male Red-tailed Black Cockatoo have a large bill, which is a darker bill to that of the female.
The female cockatoo have fine yellow spots on the head with yellow barring across the breast. The juveniles have similar markings to the female cockatoo, with paler yellow barred underparts. This remain until puberty (this occurs around four years of age), when reaching maturity, the male cockatoos yellow tail feathers are gradually replaced with red ones. This process takes approximately four years. The juveniles also have a duskier coloured bill.
See our section on Owen Springs Reserve | Fauna | Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Check out our section in Fauna | Birds | Parrots | Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and our blog Strike a pose.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Psittaciformes
- Family: Cacatuidae
- Genus: Calyptorhynchus
- Subgenus: Calyptorhynchus
- Species: Calyptorhynchus banksii
- Subspecies:
- C. b. banksii
- C. b. graptogyne
- C. b. macrorhynchus
- C. b. naso
- C. b. samueli
Central Australia BirdsCentral Australia Birds — Index Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis) Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)
Central Australia FaunaCentral Australia Birds Central Australia Insects Central Australia Marsupials Central Australia Reptiles Central Australia Spiders
Central AustraliaCentral Australia Attractions Central Australia Fauna & Flora Water in Central Australia Weather in Central Australia
Northern TerritoryCentral Australia Aileron Alice Springs Binns Track Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve Ernest Giles Road Finke Gorge National Park Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve Hermannsburg Historic Precinct Ilparpa Claypans Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve MacDonnell Ranges Mount Connor Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary Owen Springs Reserve Red Centre Way Drive Standley Chasm Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) Conservation Reserve Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Watarrka National Park & Kings Canyon Wurre / Rainbow Valley
