Fun Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Facts For Kids

Have you ever seen or glanced at a yellow-tailed black cockatoo bird? A yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) is a large cockatoo bird that belongs to the Psittaciformes. They are blackish brown birds who are mostly seen in south-east South Australia and prefer temperate forests. They are also seen in urban areas like parks and golf courses. They are not so popular in aviculture outside their habitat region of Australia. These parrots are fond of the pine plantations as well due to their love for pine cones. The yellow cheek patches on the body are a distinguishing feature. They are most common only in their range of habitat across South Australia to the south and central-eastern Queensland, Eyre Peninsula, and Victoria.

There are some special characteristics of these birds. Do you wish to know more about them? Here are some fun, engaging, and interesting facts on these birds that will make you keener about them. Afterward, do have a look at our other articles on gang-gang cockatoo facts and sulfur-crested cockatoo facts for more.
 

What type of animal is a yellow-tailed black cockatoo?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) is a large bird that belongs to the parrot family. They are mostly found in southeast South Australia. These birds are fond of pinecones and are found in temperate forests as well as pine plantations, sometimes in urban areas too. These birds are known for their loud call that can be heard from long distances as well as their yellow-colored cheeks and grey eye-rings. These birds are not usually seen in aviculture. They are very intelligent and social birds.

What class of animal does a yellow-tailed black cockatoo belong to?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo, native to Australia, is a large cockatoo that belongs to the aves class. These birds belong to the Psittaciformes order of the Cacatuidae family. Its scientific name is Calyptorhynchus funereus. Earlier they belonged to the zanda genus and it was reclassified as Calyptorhynchus. They are sometimes called yellow-eared black cockatoo. Other species in this genus include the glossy black cockatoo and the red-tailed black cockatoo.

How many yellow-tailed black cockatoos are there in the world?

There is no accurate or rough estimate of the total number of yellow-tailed black cockatoos in the world. They have a tiny population of around 30 - 40 members in the Eyre Peninsula. Cockatoos are common in their range but are rarely seen outside Australia.

Where does a yellow-tailed black cockatoo live?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) lives in temperate forests, Eucalyptus regnans forest, as well as pine plantations. They are found in the southeast South Australia, central eastern Queensland and a small population is found in the Eyre Peninsula. They are also seen in the island of Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait as well as on Kangaroo Island and New South Wales.

What is a yellow-tailed black cockatoo's habitat?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) prefers temperate forest, woodlands as well as pine plantations as they feed on pine cones. This species is also seen in urban areas like parks and golf courses. They are spotted in the areas where plenty of food supply is available.

Who do yellow-tailed black cockatoos live with?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) are social animals and are usually seen in pairs or in small groups.

How long does a yellow-tailed black cockatoo live?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo has an average lifespan of more than 50 years. This may vary depending on their habitat and food habits.

How do they reproduce?

A male yellow-tailed black cockatoo displays courtship by bowing and growling in front of the adult female birds around two to three times and the eye-ring may change to deeper pink. Both the male and female together build the nest and the female lays eggs. The eggs are incubated by female birds and males help in the supply of food. This species has a long breeding season. The parents take care of the young ones for around six months.

What is their conservation status?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo is listed as the Least Concern species by the IUCN Red List. This species is common in their habitat range across Australia but their population is decreasing in other ranges. The main reasons for the decrease are habitat clearance, loss of food supply and nest sites. Hence their population is decreasing.

What do yellow-tailed black cockatoos look like?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo is a large cockatoo that belongs to the parrot family. These species are blackish brown in color with yellow spots on their cheeks. The plumage is black with yellow edges and yellow panels on the tail. They have yellow cheeks. A female bird has a grey eye ring with a white bill along with black spots whereas the male yellow-tailed black cockatoo has a grey-black bill and pink eye-ring. A male has a smaller yellow patch compared to females.

How cute are they?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo is cute and innocent with its yellow cheeked appearance.

How do they communicate?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo are social creatures. They use loud sounds and calls to communicate with each other. The most commonly heard sound is the long mournful wailing contact call which can be heard from a long distance.

How big is a yellow-tailed black cockatoo?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo has a length of 22-26 in (55.8-66.0 cm) and hence is a large cockatoo. They are larger in length than the other cockatoo parrots.

How fast can a yellow-tailed black cockatoo fly?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo bird species has an average flying speed of 43 mph (69 kph).

How much does a yellow-tailed black cockatoo weigh?

An average yellow-tailed black cockatoo weighs around 1.4 lb (0.63 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

As a yellow-tailed black cockatoo is a bird, its species is c. funereus. An adult male is called a male yellow-tailed black cockatoo while an adult female is called a male yellow-tailed black cockatoo.

What would you call a baby yellow-tailed black cockatoo?

A baby yellow-tailed black cockatoo is called a chick or hatchling.

What do they eat?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos are omnivores. Their primary diet includes seeds of ground plants, wood-boring insect larvae, pinecones, and sometimes nectar. The main predators of yellow-tailed black cockatoo are Australian wedge-tailed eagles.

Are they poisonous?

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos are not poisonous. They can damage the pine plantations by weakening the stems, so they are sometimes called pests.

Would they make a good pet?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo is not popular in the pet trade. They are seldom seen in captivity. They are very rarely seen outside Australia. These birds are protected by CITES. So it is illegal to export, import, or trade. Hence, the yellow-tailed black cockatoo is not suitable for keeping as a pet.

Did you know...

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo has the ability to feed like woodpeckers by clinging to the trees while they are looking for food.

Citron-crested cockatoos are one of the rarest species of cockatoos in the world native to Indonesia.

Why are yellow-tailed black cockatoos endangered?

A yellow-tailed black cockatoo is common in its range of preferred habitat types but it has slowly become endangered in Victoria and Australia. The main reasons include habitat clearance, the loss of food supply. They also do not have places for nest sites. You can purchase a healthy bird from reputed yellow-tailed black cockatoo breeders quite easily.

What does it mean to see a yellow-tailed black cockatoo?

Seeing a yellow-tailed black cockatoo can be a sign of the rain coming. They are also considered as a sign for strengthening the spirit and soul of one. It is a symbol of energy, celebration, empowerment, and happiness.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these umbrella cockatoo facts and lovebird facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in our free printable yellow-tailed black cockatoo coloring pages.