South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Calyptorhynchus lathami lathami

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Vulnerable

Gazetted date: 30 Jun 2023

Profile last updated: 31 Jan 2024

Description

The South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo is a small brown-black cockatoo with a massive, bulbous bill and a short crest. Males have a prominent red tail panel, while that of females is yellow to orange-red. The coloured tail panel is barred black in juvenile birds, with the extent of barring decreasing with age. The female usually has irregular pale-yellow markings on the head and neck, and may have yellow flecks on the underparts and underwing. They are usually seen in pairs or small groups feeding quietly in sheoaks.

Distribution

The species is uncommon although widespread throughout suitable forest and woodland habitats, from the central Queensland coast to East Gippsland in Victoria, and inland to the southern tablelands and central western plains of NSW, with a small population in the Riverina. An isolated population exists on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

Habitat and ecology

Inhabits open forest and woodlands of the coast and the Great Dividing Range where stands of sheoak occur. Black Sheoak (Allocasuarina littoralis) and Forest Sheoak (A. torulosa) are important foods.
Inland populations feed on a wide range of sheoaks, including Drooping Sheoak, Allocasuaraina diminuta, and A. gymnathera. Belah is also utilised and may be a critical food source for some populations.
In the Riverina, birds are associated with hills and rocky rises supporting Drooping Sheoak, but also recorded in open woodlands dominated by Belah (Casuarina cristata).
Feeds almost exclusively on the seeds of several species of she-oak (Casuarina and Allocasuarina species), shredding the cones with the massive bill.
Dependent on large hollow-bearing eucalypts for nest sites. A single egg is laid between March and May.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Reduction of suitable habitat through clearing for development.
Decline of hollow bearing trees over time due to land management activities.
Excessively frequent fire which eliminates sheoaks from areas, prevents the development of mature sheoak stands, and destroys nest trees.
Firewood collection resulting in loss of hollow-bearing trees, reduced recruitment of hollow-bearing trees, and disturbance of breeding attempts.
Decline in extent and productivity of sheoak foraging habitat due to feral herbivores.
Reduced access to surface water in close proximity to foraging and nesting habitat.
Limited information on the location of nesting aggregations and the distribution of high quality breeding habitat.
Disturbance from coal seam gas and open cut coal mining causing loss of foraging and breeding habitat as well as disturbing reproductive attempts.
Decline in extent and productivity of sheoak foraging habitat caused by moisture stress due to climate change.
Forestry activity resulting in loss of hollow-bearing trees, reduced recruitment of hollow-bearing trees, degradation of foraging habitat, and disturbance of breeding attempts.
Degradation of foraging habitat and reduced regeneration of sheoak stands due to grazing by domestic stock.
Loss of foraging habitat due to slashing/underscrubbing.
Change in the spatial and temporal distribution of resources due to global warming.
Illegal bird smuggling and egg-collecting.
Habitat infestation by weeds such as African boxthorn, Gazania, buffel grass and other invasive grasses.
Disenfranchisement or exclusion of Aboriginal custodians and knowledge holders.

Recovery strategies

A targeted strategy for managing this species has been developed under the Saving Our Species program; click here for details. For more information on the Saving Our Species program click here

Activities to assist this species

Reduce the impact of burning to retain diverse understorey species and in particular to permit the regeneration of she-oaks.
Protect existing and future hollow-bearing trees for nest sites.
Retain and protect areas of native forest and woodland containing she-oaks.
Establish forested corridors linking remnant areas of habitat; include local she-oak species in bush revegetation works.
Report suspected illegal bird trapping and egg-collecting to the OEH.

Information sources

Cameron, M. (2005) Group size and feeding rates of Glossy Black-Cockatoos in central New South Wales. Emu 105(4): 299–304
Cameron, M. (2006) Distribution and cone production in Allocasuarina diminuta and A. gymnanthera (Casuarinaceae) in central New South Wales. The Rangeland Journal 28(2): 153–161
Cameron, M. (2006) Nesting habitat of the glossy black-cockatoo in central New South Wales. Biological Conservation 127(4): 402-410
Cameron, M. (2007) Cockatoos. (CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood)
Cameron, M. (2009) The Influence of Climate on Glossy Black cockatoo Reproduction. Pacific Conservation Biology 15(1): 65-71
Cameron, M. and Cunningham, R. (2006) Habitat selection at multiple spatial scales by foraging Glossy Black-cockatoos. Austral Ecology 31(5): 597-607
Chapman, T.F. (2007) Foods of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami. Australian Field Ornithology 24(1): 30-36
Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) (2007) Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna of the Greater Southern Sydney Region. Volume 2: Fauna of Conservation Concern including priority pest species. (DECC NSW, Hurstville)
Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW (2010) Northern Rivers Regional Biodiversity Management Plan.
Forshaw, J.M. (2003) Australian Parrots. (CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood)
Garnett, S.T., Szabo, J.K. and Dutson, G. (2011) Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010. (CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria)
Higgins, P.J. (ed.) (1999) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird.
Murray Catchment Management Authority and Office of Environment and Heritage (2012) New South Wales Murray Biodiversity Management Plan: A guide to terrestrial biodiversity investment priorities in the central and eastern NSW Murray catchment. (Murray CMA, Albury)
NSW Scientific Committee (2008) Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami - Review of Current Information in NSW.
Robinson, D. and Traill, B.J. (1996) Conserving woodland birds in the wheat and sheep belts of southern Australia. RAOU Conservation Statement No. 10. (Birds Australia, Melbourne)
Walpole, S.C. and Oliver, D.L. (2000) Observations of Glossy Black-Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus lathami feeding on the seeds of Bulloke Allocasuarina luehmannii. Australian Bird Watcher 18: 284-285
Whelan, R.J., Collins, L. and Loemker, R. (2009) Predicting threatened species responses to fuel reduction for asset protection. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 115: 77-83

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Plains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Range	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Moonie-Barwon Interfluve	Predicted	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Outwash	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga Outwash	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Talbragar Valley	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Canbelego Downs	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Lachlan Plains	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Nymagee	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Bogan-Macquarie	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Castlereagh-Barwon	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Warrambool-Moonie	Known	None
Nandewar	Inverell Basalts	Known	None
Nandewar	Kaputar	Predicted	None
Nandewar	Nandewar Northern Complex	Known	None
Nandewar	Peel	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Armidale Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Beardy River Hills	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Binghi Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Bundarra Downs	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Deepwater Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Eastern Nandewars	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Ebor Basalts	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Moredun Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Nightcap	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Northeast Forest Lands	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Round Mountain	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Severn River Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Stanthorpe Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Tenterfield Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Tingha Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Wongwibinda Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Yarrowyck-Kentucky Downs	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Barrington	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Carrai Plateau	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Cataract	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Chaelundi	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Coffs Coast and Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Comboyne Plateau	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Dalmorton	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Ellerston	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Guy Fawkes	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Karuah Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Gorges	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Hastings	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Mummel Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Rocky River Gorge	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Tomalla	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Hunter	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Washpool	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Yuraygir	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Capertee Valley	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Inland Slopes	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Lower Slopes	Known	None
Ocean	Batemans Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Hawkesbury Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Manning Shelf	Known	None
Ocean	Tweed-Moreton	Known	None
Ocean	Twofold Shelf	Known	None
Ocean - Other State	Northern Australian Coastal Waters	Known	None
Other State	ACT	Known	None
Other State	Jervis Bay Territory	Known	None
Other State	QLD	Known	None
South East Corner	Bateman	Known	None
South East Corner	East Gippsland Lowlands	Known	None
South East Corner	South East Coastal Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bathurst	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bondo	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Bungonia	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Capertee Uplands	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Crookwell	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Hill End	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Kanangra	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Kybeyan-Gourock	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Monaro	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Murrumbateman	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Oberon	Predicted	None
South Eastern Highlands	Orange	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Burringbar-Conondale Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Lowlands	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Sandstones	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Scenic Rim	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Sunshine Coast-Gold Coast Lowlands	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Woodenbong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Burragorang	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Cumberland	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Ettrema	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Hunter	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Illawarra	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Jervis	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Kerrabee	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Moss Vale	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Pittwater	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Sydney Cataract	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wollemi	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wyong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Yengo	Known	None

Sounds

Images

Glossy black-cockatoo, Narrabarba Hill Flora Reserve Image 1 of 7.
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