Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are striking white birds with a spectacular yellow erectile crest. This has led them to becoming well known, and often found in captivity. However, Australia’s answer to the nightingale has a loud, harsh grating call that is equally well-known. The call is sounded by “sentries” who post themselves around feeding flocks. The damage they cause to crops has led them to be regarded as a nuisance by farmers. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos consume a wide range of seeds, fruits and buds gathered from the ground and from trees, and, to… Continue reading
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Sightings of small groups of these magnificent birds became increasingly common in suburban and rural areas after they learnt to exploit the cones of exotic pines as a food source. Their distinctive flight silhouette with a large rounded head, deep leisurely wing beats, and echoing “whee-la” calls make them easy to recognise. Although regarded as “Vulnerable”, large flocks of up to 200 birds or more may nevertheless be regularly seen in winter in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos feed on seeds and insect larvae. They have learnt… Continue reading
Long-billed Corella Long-billed Corellas are mainly to be found in the south-east of South Australia and western Victoria. At first their populations suffered severely after European settlement from human persecution, the changes in the environment following the establishment of agriculture, and from the loss of habitat caused by the invasion by rabbits. However, more recent changes in agricultural practices which favoured the spread of onion grass, and control of rabbit numbers by myxomatosis have allowed their numbers to build up again. The major long-term threat is a lack of tree hollows for… Continue reading
Little Corella Little Corellas are often found in country towns where they form large noisy flocks which are often regarded as a nuisance. They can cause considerable damage to trees and shrubs by stripping the leaves and to human installations by chewing off the outer insulation of electrical cables etc. Because of their habits and numbers they are often persecuted and culled. However, for those who care to watch them, they can provide considerable entertainment with their exuberant playful behaviour such as dangling from overhead wires by the bill or one foot,… Continue reading
Black Falcon Black Falcons are very dark, nomadic raptors and often associated with the sparsely treed plains of inland Australia, although they also frequent farmland in South Australia. They are usually seen alone, or in pairs. Black Falcons prey on mammals (rats and rabbits), birds (particularly ground birds such as quail, pipits and larks), large insects, and carrion. They will also take reptiles. They use a variety of hunting techniques: low, fast flight along watercourses or drainage lines, slow quartering, high soaring, or still hunting from a perch. Prey may be seized… Continue reading
Black-breasted Buzzard Black-breasted Buzzards are an uncommon species found in wooded areas in the northern two-thirds of Australia. They are usually seen soaring overhead when they can be identified by their distinctive silhouette – broad and even, with black, deep-fingered wings bordering a large, obvious white patch, a short, plain grey, square-cut tail, and a rufous underbody. Conversely, they may be found on the ground near road kill. Black-breasted Buzzards feed on birds, mammals, reptiles, large insects and carrion e.g. road-kill. They also feed on the large eggs of ground-nesting birds and… Continue reading
Black Kite The Black Kite is a widespread species found throughout the Old World. It is easily recognisable from its long, deeply-forked tail, dark body and flight habits consisting of wide circles interrupted by highly-manoeuvrable side-slipping to catch prey. They are found in large numbers in northern Australia with numbers decreasing towards the south. Black Kites are omnivorous. They predate all manner of small vertebrates, many types of invertebrates, and will take carrion. Their catholic diet has led them to become commensal with man, and they visit rubbish dumps, piggeries, abattoirs and… Continue reading
Australian Hobby The Australian Hobby is a dashing small falcon usually seen perched on tall trees but sometimes seen engaged in high-speed chases. They feed on small birds, bats and flying insects. They are very fast and can often be seen perched at the top of tall trees from which they swoop down onto their prey. Also hunt by high quartering or by low fast flight. Hunting may be done during the day, dawn or dusk and even by night where there is artificial light. Breeding occurs from August to January with… Continue reading
Black-shouldered Kite Black-shouldered Kites are commonly seen hovering over open areas. The pure white tail lacks the dark band found on the other common hovering bird of prey, the Nankeen Kestrel. The Black-shouldered Kite is one of four very similar species in the genus Elanus found throughout the tropic and semi-tropics, although only the Letter-winged Kite (E. scriptus) is also found in Australia. Their prey is mainly small rodents but also take other small vertebrates (reptiles and birds) and large insects such as grasshoppers. They hunt mainly by hovering and then dropping… Continue reading