12

Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) Alternate name(s): "Corella*", "Slender-billed Corella", "Long-billed Cockatoo" Size: 38-41 cm; wing span: 80-90 cm Body mass: 565-640 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.48-0.69

Australia: Family Group 12 Family Group 12 Table Palm Cockatoo Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Glossy Black-Cockatoo Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Short-billed Black-Cockatoo Long-billed Black-Cockatoo Gang-gang Cockatoo Long-billed Corella Western Corella Little Corella Cockatiel Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Pink Cockatoo Galah Rainbow Lorikeet Red-collared Lorikeet Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Purple-crowned Lorikeet Varied Lorikeet Musk Lorikeet Little Lorikeet Eclectus Parrot Red-cheeked Parrot Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Australian King-Parrot Red-winged Parrot Princess Parrot Superb Parrot Regent Parrot Green Rosella Crimson Rosella Western Rosella Eastern Rosella Pale-headed Rosella Northern Rosella Red-capped Parrot Australian Ringneck Red-rumped Parrot Mulga Parrot Golden-shouldered Parrot Hooded Parrot Blue Bonnet Bourke's Parrot Budgerigar Swift Parrot Eastern Ground Parrot Night Parrot Blue-winged Parrot Scarlet-chested Parrot Rock Parrot Turquoise Parrot Elegant Parrot Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Thumbnails page Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Long-billed Corellas are small cockatoos. They are almost all-white, except a light-blue eye patch, a pink frons and some pink scalloping on the chest. They have a small white crest that can only be seen when erected. The bill is light-grey, with a conspicuously long upper mandible. The eyes are dark, the legs and feet are dark-grey. Twitcher's tip Compared to Little Corellas they have a much longer upper mandible and a lot more pink on the frons and chest.

Taxonomy, classification See Long-billed Corella at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Long-billed Corella is available HERE . Long-billed Corellas are endemic to Australia. They naturally occur along the South coast of Australia, around the VIC/SA border and in parts of the Murray River catchment. They are also found in the eastern half of Tasmania. There are additional (introduced, rapidly expanding) populations along the NSW and QLD coast and and nearby ranges, and around Perth, WA, where they are displacing the native Western Corellas. Long-billed Corellas are often found in woodland, especially with red gums, and also near human habitation, e.g. on farms.

Sightings Click here for sighting information R. Plumtreereports spotting Long-billed Corellas at Lake Newlands, near Apsley, VIC, in October 2016. M. Eaton found Long-billed Corellas in Torquay, VIC, in April 2022. A Long-billed Corella was first spotted by us in Tuggerah NR near Wyong, Central Coast, NSW, in June 2011. At this location they are introduced. A. Morris's help with these observations is greatly appreciated. C. Hayne reports spotting a Long-billed Corella at Point Wolstoncroft, NSW, in April 2009, where they are introduced. A. Ross-Taylor has spotted Long-billed Corellas at Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, e.g. in November 2013 and again in November 2014. They are part of an introduced population. J. Greaves reports spotting Long-billed Corellas in Perth, WA, in January 2015, where they are also introduced. They were first found by C. Pears in September 2022. M. Eaton found Long-billed Corellas in Moggill, QLD, where they are also introduced, in August 2018.

Photos

Natives

ADULT

PAIR

Frontal/ventral view of a pair of Long-billed Corellas (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Lake Newlands, near Apsley, VIC, October 2016]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Long-billed Corella looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Torquay, VIC, April 2022]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Long-billed Corella looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Torquay, VIC, April 2022]

Lateral view of two Long-billed Corellas, together with two Galahs, in a dead tree top (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Lake Newlands, near Apsley, VIC, October 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Long-billed Corella in flight (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Lake Newlands, near Apsley, VIC, October 2016]

Introduced

PAIR

Two (pair of?) Long-billed Corellas in a eucalypt (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, January 2015]

Two (pair of?) Long-billed Corellas in a eucalypt (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, January 2015]

Two (pair of?) Long-billed Corellas on the point of departure (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, January 2015]

Sex unknown

Frontal portrait of an adult Long-billed Corella (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

Frontal/ventral view of a Long-billed Corella looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, August 2018]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Long-billed Corella looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[City Beach, Perth, WA, September 2022]

Near-frontal view of a Long-billed Corella looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[City Beach, Perth, WA, September 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Long-billed Corella (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Long-billed Corella scaring the wits out of a Pied Currawong (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

Lateral view of a Long-billed Corella (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a Long-billed Corella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, August 2018]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Flock

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds

Dependents: Regurgitated seeds

Water intake: Daily

Like basically all cockatoos, Long-billed Corellas are seed-eaters, where seeds include those in cones and nut-like fruit.

Near-frontal view of a Long-billed Corella chomping eucalypt seeds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Torquay, VIC, April 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Long-billed Corella chomping eucalypt seeds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Torquay, VIC, April 2022]

Near-frontal view of a Long-billed Corella feeding on plant material (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, August 2018]

Lateral view of Long-billed Corellas feeding on plant material (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, August 2018]

Near-lateral view of two Long-billed Corellas feeding on plant material (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[City Beach, Perth, WA, September 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Long-billed Corella feeding on plant material (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[City Beach, Perth, WA, September 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Long-billed Corella feeding on plant material (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[City Beach, Perth, WA, September 2022]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.