![]() The lower beak blackens later by four years of age. Immature birds have duller plumage overall, a horn-coloured bill, and grey eye-rings The upper beak of the immature male darkens to black by two years of age, commencing at the base of the bill and spreading over ten weeks. The female has grey eye-rings, a horn-coloured bill, and brighter and more clearly defined yellow cheek-patches. The male yellow-tailed black cockatoo has a black bill, a dull yellow patch behind each eye, and pinkish or reddish eye-rings. The plumage is a more solid brown-black in the eastern subspecies, while the southern race has more pronounced yellow scalloping on the underparts. Both mainland and Tasmanian birds of the "xanthanotus" race average about 28 cm in tail length. Birds of the "xanthanotus" race on the mainland average heavier than the Tasmanian birds the males on the mainland weigh on average around 630 g and females 637 g, while those on Tasmania average 583 and 585 g respectively. Male "funereus" birds weigh on average around 731 g and females weigh about 800 g. The tails of birds of subspecies "funereus" measure around 33 cm, with an average tail length 5 cm longer than "xanthanotus". It has a short mobile crest on the top of its head, and the plumage is mostly brownish-black with paler feather-margins in the neck, nape, and wings, and pale yellow bands in the tail feathers. They can also demolish a whole coconut with husk in 3 days.Ĭaptive breeding guidelines may be found in Husbandry Guidelines for the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Bennett, 2008).The yellow-tailed black cockatoo is 55–65 cm in length and 750–900 grams in weight. The large and powerful bills of these birds can quickly and easily open a Brazil nut (normally requiring crushing in a vise or pounding with a hammer), shearing it as neatly as a laser. Mature male birds will become aggressive to young male birds at puberty (4 years) they must be separated if caged. Young birds fledge after about 4 months and both sexes have the colouring of their mother. The best time for hand raising is at about 10 weeks when their black feathers are in place but the tail feathers are still short. The eyes of the young open around 3 weeks and the yellow down will show black pin feathers at about 6 weeks. Once the female has one egg in her nest, she will not lay another. The birds breed easily in captivity and can lay eggs every 3 weeks between February and November. However, with an increase in interest in conservation, more aviculturists are concerned about maintaining the integrity of the separate subspecies in cultivation, and so avoid crossbreeding. Birds were often previously bred without much attention to subspecies of origin. Until now, most birds in captivity have been of subspecies C. The red-tailed black cockatoo is the most commonly seen of the black cockatoos in captivity, and can be hardy and long-lived if given plenty of space. Hand-reared birds are able to learn a few words and can be quite affectionate, although males may become imprinted and unlikely to breed. Hand-raised birds can be bought for anywhere between $15,000 to $40,000 in the United States, where they are seldom seen in aviculture. In the late 1990s, red-tailed black cockatoos fetched prices of $1750 in Australia and $8900 (~US$6000) overseas. Of the black cockatoos, the red-tailed is the most adaptable to aviculture, although black cockatoos are much rarer and much more expensive in aviculture outside Australia. Populations in southeastern Australia are threatened by deforestation and other habitat alterations. They are seed eaters and cavity nesters, and as such depend on trees with fairly large diameters, generally Eucalyptus. In the more northerly parts of the country, these cockatoos are commonly seen in large flocks. The species is usually found in eucalyptus woodlands, or along water courses. Although the more northerly subspecies are widespread, the two southern subspecies, the forest red-tailed black cockatoo and the south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo are under threat. Five subspecies are recognised, differing chiefly in beak size. It is more common in the drier parts of the continent. ![]() ![]() Adult males have a characteristic pair of bright red panels on the tail that gives the species its name. The red-tailed black cockatoo ( Calyptorhynchus banksii ) also known as Banksian- or Banks' black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo native to Australia. ![]()
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