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Malcolm Abbott
Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus latirostris
When on a trip to Western Australia in September 2019 Margie and I were keen to see Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo. They are endemic to the SW corner of WA, and have declined in recent years due to widespread clearing and decreasing food sources. Their numbers are now further threatened by recent bushfires in the region which have destroyed much of their habitat.
While enjoying delicious scones, jam, cream and coffee in Ravensthorpe we asked some of the locals where we should go to find them. “To the Golf Course-near the pine trees” in Esperance they said. So off we went - but with no success. In fact a group of club members said they thought the Cockatoos were at the Racecourse! We persisted in other likely places but failed to find them and began to wonder whether there were any there at all.
At the start of our return journey toward Perth from Esperance via Bremer Bay we had given up hope of seeing Carnabys. Then about coffee stop time we noticed a small flock of black birds some distance ahead of us. We pulled up and we had found them! After a good sighting and photographs we drove on to find black and yellow roadside signs indicating the presence of cockatoos. 
Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo is closely related to (previously a race of) the Yellow-tailed Cockatoo having similar flight and call. It was described in 1948 by naturalist Ivan Carnaby. It is a large, dull-black cockatoo with a short erectile crest, large bill, and prominent white cheek patches. The bird is mostly grey-black with narrow off-white fringes, measures around half a metre in length, and can weigh in excess of 600g. It has a life span ranging from 25 to 50 years. They are found mainly in Eucalyptus woodland but also pine plantations mostly within the wheatbelt region of WA.


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​2/4/2020
Judy Moyes
The Cheeky Youngster
Since the fires in the Adelaide Hills I have had an influx of Kookaburras in our area. At first there seemed to be a great deal of territorial calling and I have counted up to 10 individual birds. One however seems to have been hand reared. He? Is not afraid of me at all. The minute I go out to our dustbin area he arrives, has fallen into the dustbin twice, has perched on my shoulder, my arm, and once on my head surprising me each time. He is quite relaxed being only centimetres away and listens intently when I chat to him. Although I do not want to make a pet of him I have given him the odd snack in the evening and I am hoping with all the other Kookaburras in the area he will find a mate and settle down. I have called him Swartkop. (Afrikaans for black head) as the colouring around his head seems darker than usual. A few days ago he was hopping around our courtyard when a young Magpie appeared, followed him and then tugged at his tail feathers and pulled one out. Swartkop didn’t seem too upset.