Yellow-tailed black cockatoo
The yellow-tailed black cockatoo is one of the largest species of parrot. With dusty-black plumage, they have a yellow tail and cheek patch. They’re easily spotted while bird watching, as they feed on seeds in native forests and pine plantations.
Read more about Yellow-tailed black cockatoo
One of the largest of the native parrots, the yellow-tailed black cockatoo is found across south-east Australia from the Eyre peninsular, through to eastern NSW and central eastern Queensland. With larrikin antics and a screeching ‘kee-ow’ call like a rusty gate, they’re a bird watching favourite. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos have mostly dusty-black plumage with a yellow-banded tail and a distinctive yellow cheek patch, which is smaller in males.
These uniquely Australian birds are often spotted in small family groups in native forests, heathland and pine plantations, where they feed on wood-boring larvae and seeds. They tend to congregate in larger flocks during the breeding season, from March to August.
The yellow-tailed black-cockatoo is one of 6 species of black cockatoo in Australia.
Animal facts
- Common name
- Yellow-tailed black cockatoo
- Scientific name
- Calyptorhynchus funereus
- Conservation status in NSW
- Protected
Parks in which this animal is found
- Blackheath area in Blue Mountains National Park
- Coffs Coast Regional Park
- Eurobodalla National Park
- Glenbrook area in Blue Mountains National Park
- Glenrock State Conservation Area
- Green Cape area in Beowa National Park
- Guula Ngurra National Park
- Heathcote National Park
- High Plains area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Horton Falls National Park
- Jervis Bay National Park
- Katoomba area in Blue Mountains National Park
- Killalea Regional Park
- Lower Grose Valley area in Blue Mountains National Park
- Lower Snowy River area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Malabar Headland National Park
- Morton National Park
- Mount Jerusalem National Park
- Mount Wilson area in Blue Mountains National Park
- Popran National Park
- Tumut area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Yuraygir National Park