A regular feature of the soundscape in the Blue Mountains is the rather mournful cry of the yellow-tailed black-cockatoos. Their call is distinct and seems to carry over long distances. I love watching them in flight, their wingbeats slow and deep as they pass overhead.
Earlier this year I was driving through part of the Capricorn coast in Queensland near Yeppoon when a small flock of red-tailed black cockatoos caught my attention.
It was a treat to have a closer look at these beautiful birds. The male is black with scarlet tail feathers, and the female and juvenile birds have yellow spots on their head, neck and wings, along with barring on the body.
It was a windy day, which explains why this male’s crest is at such a jaunty angle.
I was reminded of these beautiful birds during a webcast about black cockatoos of the southeast of Australia by Daniella Teixeira as part of a series by Birdlife Australia. This includes some amazing photos and footage, in addition to some great tips about the various black cockatoos across the eastern states.
What birds make up the soundscape in your backyard?
[Photo: Red-tailed black-cockatoo in flight]
jml297 
Beautiful
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Thank you 😊
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Awesome!
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Here in suburban Melbourne, not far from the bay, galahs, rosellas, and magpies are regular visitors, which wasn’t the case when I first moved here in the 1970s. Back then my suburb was a sea of postwar housing, with postwar gardens too, and all we ever saw were sparrows and pigeons… but young people moving in (as we were then) set to and planted native gardens and the native birds began to come. The other thing that has made a difference is the chain of parks across Melbourne that provide a route for native birds through the city.
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It’s wonderful to read of the transformation of the suburb and the impact that’s had on the native birds returning to the area. And wonderful too that there are parks and open spaces for them to enjoy as well. Thank you for sharing your birdsong soundscape ☺️
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Lovely photos of the red-tailed black-cockatoos! I recently watched a documentary about the unique fauna of Australia, which is due to the geographical isolation from the other continents. Best wishes for the new week! Peter
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Thank you, Peter. We do have some unusual fauna here, and geographical isolation and conditions definitely played a big part in that. I hope your week goes well too, Jane
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Yes, very helpful. Surprised to see a flock of Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos around 15 flying over dirt road part of Cooks Road West at Western side of Wentworth Falls (Blue Mountains NSW) coming from the direction of Leura in December 2022. I was walking three terriers and couldn’t get a photo. The Red-Tails nested in a very large Eucalypt tree in the bush between Cooks Rd West and Blaxland Road Wentworth Falls. Also sighted a pair of Red Tails in the nearby Geebung Bush off Bass Road several years ago.
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Thanks, Warren, and interesting to read about your sightings of these cockatoos in the mountains. I was sure that I’d seen a small flock of them on one of my many trips along the Great Western Highway near the Bulls Camp Reserve at Woodford, but it’s hard to tell when you’re driving. I’ll keep an eye out for local sightings now, thank you.
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