The Glossy Black Conservancy

The short answer to this question is, yes they can. Glossy Black-Cockatoo have the ability to eat other foods and in captivity eat a variety of other cage birds seeds and fruit mixtures, but even in these captive situations owners also supplement this diet with kernels from she-oaks trees. In the wild it is uncommon for the Glossy Black-Cockatoo to feed on other sources of food given that they have developed a highly specialised monophagous (one source of food) habit. Of course they may ingest small insects incidentally when foraging through she-oak cones but it is unlikely that the birds are selecting for these food items. There are anecdotal reports that Glossy Black-Cockatoo have been observed feeding on seeds of species such as Acacia, Hakea, Angophora and Eucalyptus. However, some reports may be questionable as Glossy Black-Cockatoo are known to fly from feeding trees to other roost sites when processing cones, giving the impression that they might be feeding in their roost tree.

Nest boxes are used to improve the performance of Glossy Black-Cockatoo in other areas of Australia (e.g. Kangaroo Island). However, the use of nest boxes cannot be done indiscriminantly and careful thought needs to be given to a number of issues. For example, how many natural hollows are available in nearby woodlands? Can the nest box be erected where this will be accessible to enable regular monitoring to see which species might use it? What are the chances of other more common species (e.g. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah) using the nest box instead of Glossy Black-Cockatoo? Is the nest box to be erected in an areas where Glossy Black-Cockatoo have previously been known to nest but now cannot since natural hollow-bearing trees have been removed? These are just a number of factors to bear in mind when considering whether to erect nest boxes (not just for Glossy Black-Cockatoo) but for many other species as well. Having said that, there are a number of guidelines for nest boxes in published books (see “Nest boxes for wildlife, a practical guide” by Alan and Stacey Franks).

There are a number of ways that members of the public can become involved in conservation efforts to save the Glossy Black-Cockatoo. These include participating in regional Birding Days, undertaking regular monitoring of sites known to be frequented by the birds. Reporting each and every sighting of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo using our online reporting system to ensure that we are able to build up a comprehensive database on the timing, frequency and ongoing use of certain habitats. Raise awareness in your local community by spreading the word about the Glossy Black-Cockatoo amongst friends and getting them involved as well. In this way we can increase the number of areas being monitored to improve the quality and resolution of the sightings information. Retain as much natural habitat on your property as possible and encourage plantings of feed trees to provide ongoing resources for the birds in your area. Monitor other possible feeding locations (stands of she-oaks) to find out if Glossy Black-Cockatoo are using these areas. Documenting evidence of these birds feeding in areas might just save these habitats from development.

Like many other cockatoo and parrot species, Glossy Black-Cockatoo are a relatively long-lived. Precise estimates of how long the birds live are hard to come by but it is expected that they could live for more than 15 years and potentially even more than 30 years. Birds in captivity may live longer than those in the wild due to the reduced pressures facing these individuals (e.g. predation, food scarcity etc.).

She-oaks and Casuarina are trees of the scientific Family Casuarinaceae and are native to Australia. There are a number of species in this order and this varies from region to region within some species dominating in some areas but being absent in others. The Family includes members of only two Genera (the scientific name of all living species are classified using a binomial system developed by Carl Linnaeus and this includes a Genus name and a Species name), those being Allocasuarina and Casuarina. The trees are readily dinstinguished from other trees by having wiry segmented branchlets that are easily confused with leaves (the leaves are actually very small and are found where each branchlet segment joins another). For an overview of the Family Casuarinaceae visit the resources on PlantNet , while you can also obtain further information about the feed trees in the north-eastern NSW and southeast QLD region here.