Like other cockatoos, the White-tailed is a seed eater and feeds mainly on the kernels of proteaceous plants such as Hakea, Grevillea, Dryandra, and Banksia. The short, rounded bill of the White-tailed Black-Cockatoo is well adapted to the bird’s favorite food and manner of feeding. Groups from other breeding areas also flock with them and large congregate of several thousand may build up at plentiful food sources. Together, they move away towards the coast, where they spend the non-breeding season foraging for food. After the chick has fledged, the family joins others from the same area. The young bird remains dependent until just before the following nesting season and is not ready to breed until its fourth year. For the first three weeks, the female is still fed by the male broods the nestling all the time from then on until the chick fledges at the age of 11 or 12 weeks it is brooded only at night and fed by both parents. Occasionally the second nestling survives for varying periods, and in a few cases, both nestlings are fledged. Usually, both eggs hatch but the second nestling dies within 48 hours of birth. As soon as the first egg is laid the female, fed in the morning and evening by the male, starts incubating. Photo Credit – Wikipedia The female bird selects and prepares a tree hollow-not necessarily the one used the previous year-and lays two eggs at an interval of one to 17 days. "I have seen black cockatoos, including babies which are more vulnerable, sitting motionless in trees when temperatures were more than 47 degrees.Together, they move away towards the coast, where they spend the non-breeding season foraging for food. "In those situations the birds find a shady tree and sit still to conserve enery. "Australian parrots and cockatoos can easily deal with temperatures around 50 degrees and I don't think those temperature levels would cause stress resulting in death," he said. Lloyd Marshall, editor of Talking Birds newspaper, said it was highly unlikely that high temperatures had anything to do with the deaths of the parrots and cockatoos. “Other factors, such as poisoning, may have contributed to the deaths, and this will be examined thoroughly when the birds, along with soil and vegetation samples are brought to Perth for analysis.”Ī department spokeswoman said soil, water and vegetation samples had been taken and would be sent to the WA Chemistry Centre. “At this stage we believe heat stress may have been a major factor, as temperatures reached 47˚C in the Hopetoun area with strong, hot northerly winds on Wednesday, while temperatures of 50˚C to 53˚C were reported in the Munglinup area. “There are a number of factors that may have contributed to the deaths, and DEC will undertake a rigorous investigation including autopsies, laboratory tests, site inspections and interviews with witnesses,” DEC Nature Protection Branch manager Kevin Morrison said in a statement today. “For birds that live for 50 years and don’t breed until they are 4-years-old and only have one chick a year with a high mortality rate, it is going to take a long time for the population there to recover – if they recover,” Ms Scott said.ĭepartment of Environment and Conservation officers are investigating the deaths and cockatoos have been sent to Perth for biopsies. “It has potentially wiped out half the population of Carnaby's black cockatoos in Munglinup (50km east of Hopetoun),” Ms Scott said. The deaths have been labelled 'devastating' for Carnaby’s black cockatoo populations, which are being pushed to extinction from habitat clearing. The birds are thought to have died from heatstroke with temperatures reaching 47C and strong northerly winds blowing in the area on Wednesday.īut investigators have not ruled out the possibility they may have been poisoned. However, Birds of Australia Carnaby's recovery manager Raana Scott said she believed they were Carnaby's. It was yet to be confirmed whether the dead cockatoos were Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which is a protected species threatened with extinction,or Baudin's cockatoos, the Department of Environment said today.
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