Baudin's (Long-billed) Black-Cockatoo (male and female)

Description:

First of this organism for PN :) Listed as Endangered in the IUCN Redlist under the scientific name Zanda baudinii. Males have "mostly brownish black, the feathers edged with dusky white giving a scalloped appearance; ear coverts dusky white; white band towards tip of tail, broken in middle; bill black; bare skin around eye pink." (Museum WA) See pics 1 and 2. Female are "like male but differs in having the ear coverts a brighter yellowish white; bill greyish with dark tip and eye skin grey." (Museum WA) See pic 3. "Upper bill narrower and longer than Carnaby’s Cockatoo" (Museum WA)(also listed as Endangered), hence the name Long-billed.

Habitat:

Found along forested section of the Bibbulmn track between Walpole and Frankland River Campsite which comprises of the magnificent Karri and Tingle trees. The location is not exact but I have tried to pinpoint the campsite!

Notes:

I know these shots are not the best but it was a real privilege to see this pair and to share with PN. On our trip down south I was lucky enough to see about 10 individual birds in pairs. Baudin's Black-Cockatoos are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. This species has a moderately small population (10,000-15,000), only about 10% of individuals make up the breeding population, and numbers are in decline. (IUCN Redlist) "Baudin's cockatoos have already disappeared from over 25% of their former range, mainly due to land clearing for agriculture. Habitat loss still continues - for urban development, forestry and mining operations." (WWF Australia) "However, the single greatest and most urgent threat facing this species is illegal shooting by orchardists." (WWF Australia) Reference: http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_th... Further reference: http://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/online-e...