The population of Glossy Black Cockatoos on Kangaroo Island are classified as being one of the three recognised subspecies of this bird: Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus. However, recent studies have suggested there are actually no real differences between these 3 'types' of bird.
This may all seem very abstract, but it does have a significance as the population of birds on Kangaroo Island are isolated from the rest of the of the populations of GBCs - and this makes there protection important. And it is generally easier (although far from easy!) to get protection for a species in an area if it is considered different from populations elsewhere.
The Glossy Black Cockatoos on Kangaroo Island face the familiar suite of threats: habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, predation by introduced predators and climate change. The Glossy Black Cockatoos also has very specific dietary needs, feeding on Allocasuarina (she-oak) seeds, so any change to the extent or availability of these plants has a significant impact on the birds.
On 20 December 2019 until 6 February 2020 fires burnt almost half of the total area of Kangaroo Island (remember we are in the southern hemisphere her, so that's high summer) . Thankfully the population of Glossy Black Cockatoos seem to have survived this fire, and many areas of Kangaroo Island have recovered remarkably since the fires.
The Glossy Black Cockatoo is the smallest of the Black Cockatoos, reaching about 50 cm (19.5 in) in length. Males are blackish brown, except for their prominent tail bands; the females are dark brownish with highly variable yellow marking around the neck and a prominent tail band of red with black bars.
I take it that the bird in this picture is a male.
As my trip to Kangaroo was primarily a walking trip I did not have my full camera gear with me - I would have needed a pack mule to help move the amount of stuff I carry if I had brought my 'real' camera with me! That being said, I am pretty pleased with these images, and I was able to tolerate the small increase in pack weight that the camera caused. (It's a hard life!)
The light for photography was truly awful, but we got great views. At first there were just two birds, but after a while they were joined by more, and all 6 birds seemed content just to sit in a dead tree for some time. I have to say, it was a bit of a highlight really!
As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below. SM
(And just a polite reminder, that any links added to this page need to contain at least some bird images! SM)
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteNo complaints from me! YAM xx
Hello Stewart :)
ReplyDeleteYou did well to get these mages of the Black Cockatoo Stewart. I enjoyed seeing them and you must have been thrilled. I hope the fire did not destroy the seeds they eat.
All the est
Sonjia.
I haven't had birds in a post for a long time. I can finally link up again! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting. I look forward to this every week. Aloha!
ReplyDeleteWhat a striking Blackbird I've never seen before!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics! We are in Sync this week, For two or three days, once a year, we get red tailed black cockatoos that strip the tree down the road and leave. They're so noisy and leave a mess of broken twigs and leaves on the footpath while they eat all the nuts.
ReplyDeleteThat first shot is rather amazing!
ReplyDeleteA fantastic highlight to find the GBCs on your walk, even with the compromised camera gear.
ReplyDeleteNever seen Black Cockatoo in nature .... look interesting bird.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing
Nice captures! I hadn't heard of a black cockatoo.
ReplyDeleteGlad you saw and photographed your target bird Stewart. We have the Red-tailed Black Cockatoos here. Often in the evening we see them sitting on tall lamp posts by roads. Thanks for hosting and commenting. I hope you week ahead is good
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I wish them well.
ReplyDeleteI think that bird is really beautiful. The photos are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to hear that Kangaroo Island suffered so much during the Black Summer bushfires. I can't believe it's been almost 6 years. Good to know that many areas have recovered. These cockatoos are stunners, and I hope they're faring well there.
ReplyDelete