The Glossy Black-Cockatoo on Kangaroo Island

Abstract

A study was conducted into the conservation requirements of the isolated population of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus zathami on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. The population numbers at least 115 individuals and probably no more than 150. The number of breeding pairs is at least five but probably does not exceed thirty. The Cockatoos' favoured habitat occurs in steep to very steep gullies and gorges vegetated primarily with Sugar Gums Eucalyptus cladocalyx and Drooping Sheoaks Casuarina stricta. The core of the population's range is, at present, the North Coast west of Cape Cassini but this may change as Sheoaks on the Island's West Coast regenerate. The birds appear to feed only on t%e seeds of the Sheoak, these are systematically extracted from the unopened cones of the female trees, specially the older ones. For nesting, the birds require tall eucalypts that are near food. There is a need for further research into the population's biology including its structure.