Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideCarnaby's Black-Cockatoo

Carnaby's black cockatoo (Zanda latirostris), also known as the short-billed black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo endemic to southwest Australia.

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⚠️Endangered

🍃Indigenous: Short-Billed Black-Cockatoo, Carnaby's Black Cockatoo

At a glance

FamilyCockatoos

SizeLarge

RarityCommon

HabitatBlack cockatoo with white ear patch and white tail panel, found in the southwestern corner of Western Australia, where it inhabits a wide variety of habitats, including woodlands, pine plantations, farmland, and urban parks.

Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from January to April.

Sounds

Sound sample

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Recorded by Sam Hambly

Range map

Occurrence window

200approx hotspots

11333approx records

1states

Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Black cockatoo with white ear patch and white tail panel, found in the southwestern corner of Western Australia, where it inhabits a wide variety of habitats, including woodlands, pine plantations, farmland, and urban parks. The very similar Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo has much longer upper mandible.

Behavior

The population size of Carnaby's cockatoo fell by over 50% in 45 years, and up to a third of their traditional breeding grounds in the Wheatbelt have been abandoned. Major threats to the cockatoo include clearance of their feeding and nesting habitat, destruction of nesting hollows (e.g. during firewood collection), competition with other species for nest sites, and poaching. Furthermore, 54% of its habitat on the Swan Coastal Plain—an important area outside the breeding season—has been lost.

Gallery

Regional timing

Western Australia

Peak: January to April11,329 records

New South Wales

Peak: August1 records

Commonly confused with

Western CorellaCacatua pastinatorSmall cockatoo with long pointed bill and a solid, short crest, typically found in farmland. This species is restricted to southwestern Australia, though not usually in the Perth area. Entirely white with pink patch in front of the eye, which has pale blue skin around it. Compare Little Corella (with much shorter bill and crest) and Long-billed Corella (introduced to Perth area from eastern Australia, with red patch on chest and much shorter crest).→Baudin's Black-CockatooZanda baudiniiBlack cockatoo with white ear patch and white tail panel. Unlikely to be observed out on the coastal sand plains of Perth. Very similar to Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo but with much longer, pointed upper mandible.→Red-tailed Black-CockatooCalyptorhynchus banksiiMostly black plumage with red or orange panels on the tail. Female has yellow spots and barring on the chest. Plumage and bill size vary according to subspecies. Often feeds on the ground.→