Local nature-lover Gee Hounsell guest-stars as our very own roving nature guide and citizen scientist, walking us through the distinguishing features and behaviours of Eurobodalla’s iconic cockatoos, here on Yuin Country.
Read on and learn what we can we do as ordinary citizens to protect them !
South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoos, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and Gang-gangs
When the birds and animals returned after the Black Summer fires it was like the world was reborn again. I bought myself a camera and headed into the local bush. I was astounded by the diversity of birdlife that flocked into our unburnt gardens and forested areas, seeking food, shelter and places to breed. Before I knew it I was hooked…I’d walk around town staring into the sky, trees and bushes, camera in hand, a look of wonderment on my face.
I found every bird I observed fascinating, but three birds in particular grabbed my attention in those early days.…the common Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, whose haunting cries usually heralded rain, the quiet Gang-gangs I first discovered in the Nature trail on Captain Oldrey Park when they rained gumnuts down on me, and the elusive South-eastern Glossy Blacks. I’d like to share some information and photos I have taken of them.
All the photos below were taken in Broulee.
South-eastern Glossy Black Cockatoos (Glossies)
Glossies are Critically Endangered in Victoria, Vulnerable in Queensland, ACT, NSW and the Northern territory.
They have a brown-black head, neck and underparts, with red or orange-red tail panels and a dull black body. The crest is small and the bill is broad and bulbous. Adult females have yellow patches on the head and neck and their tail panels are more orange-red with black bars. The males’ tail panels tend to be bright red. Young birds resemble adult males but have yellow spotted or streaked breasts, bellies and flanks, with some yellow spots on cheeks and sides of head.
Glossies mate for life and maintain their bond all year round. The female prepares the nest hollow and incubates the eggs. She only leaves the nest to feed herself after her nestling is a week old. Males feed the female and nestling throughout the incubation and brooding period. Once fledged, the young bird is fed by both parents for up to four months and remains with them until the next breeding season.
They feed exclusively on seeds found in the cones of she-oak trees (Allocasuarina and Casuarina species). They are quiet and inconspicuous when feeding, occasionally emitting a soft keee-aiirrk or aiirrkk sound.
Sometimes you can hear the soft raining sound of their discarded ‘chewings’ as you walk past.
We have important pockets of Allocasuarina throughout our Shire. It is incredibly important that these areas are protected, in order to maintain a sufficient food source for the Glossies, into the future.
Data about their habits and distribution is vital for informing priorities for habitat preservation and restoration. Any data or sightings of Glossies can be uploaded to BioNet: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/biodiversity/nsw-bionet.
BioNet contains data collections of plants and animals in NSW, including threatened species. It is referred to by Council and developers when approving development applications.
Data and sightings can also be posted to –
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au
glossyblack.org.au –
birddata.birdlife.org.au –
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo numbers are secure in NSW.
The Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo is the largest, noisiest and most common of the three Cockatoos. It has mostly black plumage, with most body feathers edged with yellow. It has a yellow cheek patch and yellow panels on the tail. Females have a larger yellow cheek patch, pale grey eye-ring (pink in males), white upper bill (grey-black in males) and black marks in the yellow tail panels. Young birds resemble the adult female, but young males have a smaller cheek patch.
They have a long breeding season, which varies throughout their range. Both sexes construct the nest, which is a large tree hollow, lined with wood chips. The female incubates the eggs, while the male supplies her with food. Usually only one chick survives, and this will stay in the care of its parents for about six months.
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos were once content to feed exclusively on the seeds of native shrubs and trees, especially banksias, hakeas and casuarinas, as well as extracting the insect larvae that bore into the branches of wattles. However, they have been known to adapt to eating exotic plants if their food source has been destroyed and their habitat fragmented.
We are all familiar with their loud, haunting kee-ow, kee-ow call when in flight or communicating with one another.
YTBC’s can be quite destructive. The photos above show a pair ring-barking a tree, to get the juicy grubs contained inside it.
Gang-gang cockatoos
Gang-gangs have recently had their Conservation Status upgraded to ‘endangered’ nationally.
They are a short, small, stocky cockatoo with a wispy crest, large, broad wings and a short tail. The adult male has a scarlet red head and crest, with the rest of the body slate-grey. The adult female has a dark grey head and crest, with the feathers of the underparts edged pink and yellow. In both sexes, the feathers of the upperparts and wings are faintly edged pale-grey, giving a barred appearance, with females having additional yellow edging on their feathers. Young birds are similar to the adult female, with young males differing by having a red crown and forehead and a shorter, less twisted red crest.
Gang-gangs are gregarious but relatively quiet cockatoos, and may usually be located in food trees by the sounds of feeding and falling debris. They feed mainly on seeds of native and introduced trees and shrubs, with a preference for eucalypts, wattles and introduced hawthorns. They will also eat berries, fruits, nuts and insects and their larvae.Their call has been likened to a ‘creaky gate’.
Broulee has been named an area of significance for Gang-gangs. We have a few who are resident throughout the year. Their numbers have declined by about 70% in the last 20 years. Gang-gangs, Glossies and YTBC nest in hollows,which can take can take 100’s of years to form. Gang-gangs will often use the same hollow each season, if it is available. Without available hollows they cannot breed.
Climate change, loss of breeding and foraging habitat, competition for suitable hollows, due to land clearing and deforestation are some major reasons they are in trouble.
You may have noticed the large nesting tubes that have been recently installed in trees around COP. They are Cockatubes and are being trialled by Eurobodalla Shire Council as a viable alternative to nesting hollows for Gang-gang Cockatoos.
The Gang-gangs and many other native birds in our area are dependent on mature trees for food, habitat and safe passage to other forested areas. Removal of mature trees reduces the chances of these endangered birds and many other parrot species (Yellow-tailed, Glossy-Black and Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, King Parrots, Rosellas, Rainbow Lorikeets for example), breeding and surviving for future generations.
Without homes, food, safe passage to other forested areas, our bird biodiversity will be significantly reduced and feral species such as Mynahs, Starlings, Sparrows, Pigeons and Blackbirds could move in.
What can we, as ordinary citizens do to protect these precious birds?
We can protect and conserve the valuable habitat these birds need in our own gardens. We can preserve mature trees, especially those with breeding hollows. We can plant some bird attracting natives. Our local Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens propagates native plants, specifically for our area throughout the year.
As our climate warms, fresh, clean water is becoming increasingly important and harder for native birds to find during the long summer months. Install a birdbath in your garden and you will not only attract beautiful birds, but also save lives.
Apart from protecting and conserving habitat in our own gardens we can advocate for the protection and conservation of habitat in our towns and villages. Join groups such as Landcare or Coastwatchers which are dedicated to protecting, maintaining, restoring and improving our unique ecosystems.
We can add to the available information and knowledge of our local bird, animal and plant species by becoming a Citizen Scientist!
Anyone can do it…grab a camera or a pair of binoculars, get out into our gardens, parks, beaches and bushland areas and record what you see. Send your data and sightings to one of the websites listed above or download an App such as Birdata from BirdLife Australia.
Enjoy the expertise of a local group such as the Eurobodalla Natural History Society. They have Field Trips every fortnight and record their native bird and animal sightings.
Dr. Susan Rhind collects data on our local Gang-gangs via the South Coast Gang-gang Project at: ganggangfarsouthcoast@gmail.com.
Do the Aussie Backyard Bird Count this October https://aussiebirdcount.org.au
If you are into social media there are lots of Facebook and Instagram groups you can join such as: Australian Native Birds, Bird Nerds, Australian Bird ID, Ethical Bird Photography.
Our native species everywhere are under threat from human impact and climate change. Every little thing you do to help in the preservation and recovery of our native birds and animals counts! It is also fun, educational, entertaining, social and great for your mental health. I highly recommend it!
Gee Hounsell
References:
Find out what threatened plants and animals live in your electorate and what your MP can do about it!
Search the app with your postcode, here – https://www.threatened.org.au/
I am a teacher, with three amazing adult sons and two beautiful grandsons. I bought a camera in 2020 and became addicted to bird photography. Now my camera never leaves my side! I am humbled by the beauty and diversity of the natural environment in which I live.
Through my photography I would like to spread awareness of just how precious, and how vulnerable it is, so more people like me take up the fight to preserve what we can for our future generations.
Further important Reading
‘Fail: our report card on the government’s handling of Australia’s extinction crisis‘
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