Fun Carnaby Cockatoo Facts For Kids

The Carnaby's black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) is also knowns as the short-billed black cockatoo. As the name suggests, these birds are not long-billed, rather they have short, wide, and curved beaks with are black and pink-white in color.

They are only found in their natural habitat in Australia. They are social birds who live in large flocks in the pine plantations and other trees in southwestern Australia.

These birds faced a sudden fall in their population count because of habitat destruction. But now with the help of various agencies and foundations, their natural habitat are been preserved and their number count is lightly increasing in Australia.

This was just the beginning. Ahead in the article, we have many interesting and funny facts about this short-billed black cockatoo that will make to feel amazed. So keep reading.

And if you like reading random bird facts then do check out our Amazon parrot facts and palm warbler facts pages.

Carnaby Cockatoo Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Carnaby cockatoo?

Carnaby's black cockatoos are large species of cockatoos that are endemic to southwest Australia. They are medium-sized dark-colored birds. But they are as beautiful as cockatoos and sulfur-crested cockatoos.

What class of animal does a Carnaby cockatoo belong to?

The Carnaby's black cockatoo belongs to the class Aves, order Psittaciformes, family Cacatuidae, and genus Calyptorhynchus. Their scientific name is Calyptorhynchus latirostris. They are also known as Zanda latirostris.

How many Carnaby cockatoos are there in the world?

According to the recent census, the population of Carnaby's black cockatoo is around 10,919 individuals. The IUCN Red List has put an endangered mark on this species that is endemic to Western Australia.

Where does a Carnaby cockatoo live?

The Carnaby's black cockatoo live in the woodlands, tree hollows, forest patches across southwest Australia. They live in flocks and inhabit good feeding sites. In their natural habitats, they can be seen flying from tree to tree.

What is a Carnaby cockatoo's habitat?

Carnaby black cockatoos are endemic to southwestern Australia. They live in the woodlands and forest patches forming a community. Some habitat range includes pine plantations, the sandplains, or kwongan heath which has hakea, banksia, and grevillea shrubs in it. They are also found in Eucalyptus woodlands.

Who do Carnaby cockatoos live with?

White-tailed black cockatoos are social birds who live in a community. Their flocks can be found in their habitat range across south-western Australia.

How long does a Carnaby cockatoo live?

The white-tailed black cockatoo has an average lifespan between 25-50 years. But in most cases, they have been seen living up to and age of 45 years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of Carnaby's cockatoo species commences from July and lasts up to around November. They become mature for breeding at the age of four and breed throughout their life.

They usually breed in the hollows of wandoo trees and salmon gum woodlands. Nesting also happens in the hollows of these tall trees.

They through throughout the year, live outside their breeding sites. And in the breeding season, they return to the salmon gum woodland sites and search for suitable hollows for nesting.

They are highly territorial species with a small twist. Carnaby cockatoo males are not territorial, instead of the male, the female birds are territorial in nature.

They select a particular hollow for themselves and drive away all other female birds from its vicinity. Then the female Carnaby's cockatoo lay their eggs in their nests.

They lay one to two white eggs and the second egg is laid with a gap of a week from the first egg. The laid eggs in the hollows go through an incubation period of around four weeks and then the young cuckoos or chicks come out.

What is their conservation status?

According to IUCN Red List, Carnaby cockatoos are enlisted under the conservation status of Endangered species. They are also tagged as Endangered species by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999(a wildlife conservation act). There are around ten thousand individuals available in the wild.

Carnaby Cockatoo Fun Facts

What do Carnaby cockatoos look like?

Carnaby's black cockatoos are birds from the family Cacatuidae. The Carnaby cockatoo's appearance is usually dull black colored birds. Describing their body color more preciously, Carnaby's cockatoo is mostly greenish-black in color with a pale gray margin on the feathers.

Those margins are more visible around their neck. They have white cheek feathers. They have long black and white tail feathers.

Actually, their tail is black on the dorsal side. The ventral side has feathers black with narrow white panels or bars on it.

Though the end part of the tail is black again. These white panels seem very magnificent when they fly. Male and female Carnaby's cockatoos have different eye-rings.

The male birds have a pink eye-ring while the female birds have a gray eye-ring. Along with all these things, the 'Carnaby's cockatoo bill' is very special and beautiful. Their bills are shorter and broader and curved like parrots.

Bill of the male species is brown-black in color where the bill of the females is pink-white in color. Carnaby's black cockatoos have body lengths between 21–23 in (53-58 cm) and their body weight is between 18.3-27.8 oz (520–790 g). Carnaby cockatoo wingspan range is estimated to be 43 in (110 cm).

How cute are they?

Carnaby cockatoos are very cute and adorable.

How do they communicate?

Carnaby's black cockatoos communicate through both vocal sound and body language. They can create a variety of sounds. They act very noisily during their breeding season.

How big is a Carnaby cockatoo?

Carnaby's black cockatoos with white cheek patches are medium-sized cockatoo species that can be found in large flocks in their habitats. Their size is estimated between 21–23 in (53-58 cm).

How fast can a Carnaby cockatoo fly?

There are no exact records on how fast Carnaby's black cockatoos fly. But cockatoos in general have an average flight speed of 43 mph (70 kph).

How much does a Carnaby cockatoo weigh?

Carnaby's black cockatoos weigh between 18.3-27.8 oz (520–790 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names attached to the Carnaby cockatoo male or Carnaby cockatoo female.

What would you call a baby Carnaby cockatoo?

A baby Carnaby black cockatoo is called a chick.

What do they eat?

The Carnaby cockatoo's diet is based on both plant and animal supplies. Carnaby's black cockatoos are primary omnivores who love feeding on seeds and insect larvae. They inhabit good feeding sites where they enjoy a nice supply of food. They eat seeds and fruits from plant species that are both native and introduced.

Are they poisonous?

No, they are not poisonous and cause no harm to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

Carnaby's black cockatoo species are not appropriate as pets. They are social bird species who live in large flocks. So it is not good to keep them in a confined zone. Moreover, they are endangered species so it is illegal to capture them.

Did you know...

The Carnaby's black cockatoo species live in their habitat across coastal and sub coastal areas in southwestern Australia which receives higher rainfall in summers.

How did Carnaby cockatoos get their name?

Carnaby's black cockatoo has their binomial nomenclature Calyptorhynchus latirostris also known as Zanda latirostris. The specific epithet 'latirostris' has been derived from two Latin words 'latus' and 'rostrum'. Latus means wide and rostrum means beak. So combined, latirostris means bird with a wide or broad beak.

Is the Carnaby's cockatoo endangered?

Yes, the Carnaby black cockatoo is an endangered species and the Carnaby cockatoo range map is limited to southwestern Australia. The main reason behind the decline of their population is habitat loss. Habitat loss is their only known threat as the wedged tailed eagle is their only natural predator.

And only one predator can't cause such population fall. Now their population is under the strict supervision of various conservation agencies. And thankfully their population is seen to be increasing.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other animals from our Jamaican Owl facts and eastern screech owl facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Carnaby cockatoo coloring pages.