Glossy Black Cockatoo Sitting in Tree Hollow

Synopsis

The glossy black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) is an endangered species of cockatoo endemic to Australia. The distribution of this species is patchy across southern and eastern Australia, with an isolated sub-species found only on Kangaroo Island (southern Australia). Glossy black cockatoos feed almost exclusively on she-oak tree seeds present in woodlands and open-forest areas and nest in mature eucalyptus trees. These highly specialist requirements for habitat and diet make this a species highly sensitive to habitat change. ;The 2019-2020 wildfires had a detrimental impact on the, already low, numbers of the Kangaroo Island population of glossy black cockatoos. Fires burnt through much of the western side of the island engulfing vast amounts of feeding habitats and nesting sites that supported around 75% of the island’s glossy black cockatoo population. ;Since the fire these cockatoos have been observed continuing to nest in artificial boxes in previously burnt areas, with population numbers remaining stable demonstrating the success of the long-term conservation management at improving the glossy black cockatoo’s resilience to these natural disasters.

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Silverback Films

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