Threat Level
Least Concern

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Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Fact Sheet

(Calyptorhynchus banksii)

Habitat

Red-tailed Black Cockatoos prefer Eucalyptus woodlands bordering watercourses but are also found in dense eucalypt forests, woodlands dominated by Acacia, monsoon rainforests, recently burnt shrubland and timbered grassland.

Diet

The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo is a seed-eater and feeds on native plants including marri, Eucalyptus calophylla, proteas, casuarinas, and stringy-bark Eucalyptus baxteri.

Breeding

These cockatoos will nest in any tree that has a hollow of a suitable size. The birds chew the inside, making a layer of wood chips on which the single egg is laid. While the female incubates the egg, she is fed by the male. Egg laying takes place from March to July.

Euli

Age: 6 years (DOB 1/4/2004)

Sex: Male

You Can Adopt Euli

Euli is one of our star Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. He flies the Crocoseum every day in our 'Free Flight Bird Show'.  

A beautiful male, Euli has stunning blood-red tail feathers. If you look closely, you will notice he has a blackening beak which occurs when male Red-tailed Black Cockatoos reach maturity.  

Euli was born in April 2004, and has developed in a lovely gentle boy. He spends his days at the Zoo flying around with all our lovely female Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. What a lucky boy!

Nowra

Age: 4 years (DOB 1/7/2006)

Sex: Female

You Can Adopt Nowra

Nowra was born at Australia Zoo in July of 2006. She is a young female Red-tailed Black Cockatoo with vibrant yellow spots on her head and sides which form shapes of little love hearts.

Nowra loves involved in the daily 'Free Flight Bird Show'. She flies around quickly chasing after her older sisters Star, Kari and Kimberly. Even though she is the youngest, Nowra often bosses her sisters around!

Star

Age: 8 years (DOB 30/11/2001)

Sex: Female

You Can Adopt Star

Star is probably our most special girl here! She was the first bird at Australia Zoo to 'star' in the free flight bird show and continues to be one  of our most impressive free fliers in the show.  She is very wise and was born here at the Zoo to her parents Olga and Uluru.  Star was given her name because of her yellow specks on her beautiful black feathers. Star is a 'girls' girl who is very choosy with her keepers but is definitely becoming more accepting as she gets older.