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12

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) Alternate name(s): "Funereal Black Cockatoo", "Yellow-eared Black-Cockatoo", "Black Cockatoo*" Aboriginal name(s): "wiRan"/"wiRayn" [tjapwurrung, djadjawurrung]; "wayilahr" [western bundjalung], "girayir"/"gireh" [eastern bundjalung]; "wylah" Size: 58-65 cm Weight: 750-900 g

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos large Black-Cockatoos that usually live in small to medium-sized flocks. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different. Both sexes have dull black plumage, with a small crest. Grey edge lining of the feathers leads to a slightly scalloped appearance. Male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos have small yellow ear patches, pink eye-rings, a dark-grey bill and two solid-yellow undertail panels. Females have larger yellow ear patches, grey eye-rings, a light-grey bill and finely barred tail panels. The irises are dark, legs and feet are grey. Juvenile Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos have a pinkish bill; they can be identified easily, because they are always begging for food with strident begging calls.

Taxonomy, classification See Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo 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 Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo is available HERE . There are three races of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, all of which are endemic to Australia. The range of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos extends along the South and East coast of Australia, from about the tip of the Eyre peninsula, SA, to about the tropic of Capricorn in QLD. Especially in QLD, but also in other areas, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos are also found in parts of the Great Dividing Range, up to a few hundred km from the coastline. To the West of Melbourne, VIC, race "whiteae" is found, whereas eastward of Melbourne and up the East coast nominate race "funereus" is present. Race "xanthanotus" populates all of Tasmania and the islands along Bass Strait. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos can be found in various types of forest, from open to dense, often with Cypress and/or Black Pine. They also go into areas with human activity (farms, parks) to feed on other seed cones, such as e.g. those of the White Cedar tree.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "funereus" Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos are not as common as other cockatoo species West of the Great Dividing Range. The first time we spotted one bird of race "funereus" was 25 km West of Narrabri in 2003. Since then we have seen Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "funereus", in the area a few times, e.g. on the northern edge of Jack's Creek State Forest, 20 km South of Narrabri, following Bohena Creek into the Pilliga scrub, and also 25 km West of Narrabri and 20 km South-West of Narrabri. The next sighting in the northern Pilliga NP came years later, in 2013. We see Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "funereus", most regularly when going into the hills of the Great Dividing Range, e.g. at Bald Rock NP, northern NSW, in October 2007. They are also seen regularly between Tamworth and Gloucester, NSW, and e.g. in Jilliby SCA and Watagans NP, South of Cessnock, NSW. A fair number of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "funereus", were also spotted at Coolah Tops NP, 30 km East of Coolah, NSW, in May 2009. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "funereus", are also seen by us regularly along the NSW coastline, e.g. in Royal NP, 20 km South of Sydney, some littoral rainforest and in other locations along the East coast of NSW and QLD, including suburbs of major cities, but less frequently than in the major forests in the Great Dividing Range. R. Plumtree reports spotting Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "funereus", occasionally at Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC. M. Eaton found Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "funereus", at Gloucester Tops, Barrington Tops NP, NSW, in December 2019. They were also found near Yamba, NSW, in January 2021. T. Froia Drummond reports spotting a pair of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "funereus", at Pomona, Sunshine Coast, QLD, in November 2020. V. Collins reports finding Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "funereus", at Newcastle Airport, Newcastle, NSW, in December 2020. Race "xanthanotus" B. Hensen reports spotting Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "xanthanotus", on Bruny Island, TAS, in March 2016. M. Eaton found Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "xanthanotus", at Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, in April 2021, and at Margate, Kingborough, TAS, in September 2021.

Photos

Race "funereus"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; note the pink eye-ring (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, May 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

Lateral view of a male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ravensbourne NP, QLD, June 2016]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

Dorsal view of a male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo in coastal banksia (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Dorsal/ventral view of a male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

Frontal view of a preening female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cooroy, QLD, December 2017]

Frontal/ventral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; note the dark eye-ring and light-grey bill
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

Near-frontal view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo feeding on a seed cone
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

Near-lateral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
[Near Gloucester, NSW, September 2011]

Near-lateral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, November 2017]

Near-lateral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo - in this view one can clearly see the crossed alignment of the crest feathers (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, November 2017]

Lateral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
[Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2017]

Dorsal view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

Dorsal view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; note the characteristic panels on the fanned tail
[Coolah Tops NP, NSW, May 2009]

Lateral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo launching itself into the air (photo courtesy of L. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, January 2017]

Frontal view of a pair of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos - male above, female below; note that the female's tail spots are not solid yellow, but finely barred
[Near Gloucester, NSW, September 2011]

Dorsal view of the same pair of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos as shown above
[Near Gloucester, NSW, September 2011]

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos are sociable birds that can often be seen in small groups or even flocks of up to 50 individuals
[Near Dungowan, NSW, July 2013]

Near-frontal view of two Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos in flight
[Near Dungowan, NSW, July 2013]

Near-lateral view of two Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos in flight
[Manning Point, NSW, July 2013]

Near-dorsal view of three Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos in flight
[Near Dungowan, NSW, July 2013]

Oh, sh..! (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2017]

PAIR

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo "TLC" - female, right, grooming male, left; this type of behaviour is part of a bonding ritual(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cooroy, QLD, December 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, with a begging juvenile on the right
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

Race "xanthanotus"

ADULT

MALE

Near-dorsal view of a male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; note the skin-coloured eye ring and dark-grey bill, which distinguish it from females (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; note the grey orbital skin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Margate, Kingborough, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Margate, Kingborough, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Margate, Kingborough, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]

Dorsal/ventral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Margate, Kingborough, TAS, September 2021]

Dorsal/ventral view of a female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]

Breeding information

Breeding season: May - Jan

Eggs: 2

Incubation period: 28 days

Fledging age: ca. 77 days

The breeding season of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos depends on geographic latitude. In the SE of Australia it is restricted to the period from Oct to May.

Usually only one of the two chicks survives. It is brooded by the female for about 3 weeks, before the male, who up to then fed the female, will also feed the chick itself.

Nest building: Female(?)

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: First female, then female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tree hollow

Material: Woodchips for lining

Height above ground: 10 - 25 m

Entrance to a nesting hollow in which we observed a Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
[Jilliby SCA, NSW, July 2013]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 48 x 36 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Rounded(?)

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair/small flock

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo "TLC" - female, right, grooming male, left; this type of behaviour is part of a bonding ritual(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cooroy, QLD, December 2017]

This is the culprit: Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo checking out the photographer
[Jilliby SCA, NSW, July 2013]

Ever the practical joker... male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo having fun chewing on the bark of a eucalypt
[Bald Rock NP, NSW, October 2007]

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds

Dependents: Regurgitated seeds

Water intake: Daily

Like basically all cockatoos, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos are primarily seed-eaters, where seeds include those in cones and nut-like fruit. The pair shown above showed a strong interest in the cones of a casuarina tree on which they were found sitting; if that is the case, it indicates that their bills are strong enough to crack those cones.

Male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo feeding in coastal banksia (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo feeding in coastal banksia (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Yamba, NSW, January 2021]

Male Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo pulling seeds out of a cone (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2013]

Female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo pulling seeds out of a cone (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2014]

Female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo feeding on a seed cone
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

Here the same female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo can be seen pulling seeds out of the seed cone
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, race "xanthanotus", feasting on seeds (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bruny Island, TAS, March 2016]

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos have been observed by us chomping on tree branches and young trees, apparently feeding on something under the bark, possibly in the (rotten?) core, see below.

Damage done by a Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo to a young tree; Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatos are known to take grubs, such as e.g. Witchety grubs, that may have caused the initial damage to the plant's core
[Jilliby SCA, NSW, July 2013]

Here the cause of the damage: female Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo pulling a grub out of the core of a branch of a White Cedar tree (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, November 2017]

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos can be very determined to [literally] get their grub (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ravensbourne NP, QLD, June 2016]

Seed cones of an introduced conifer (left) and one chewed by a Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo...
[Near Glen Innes, NSW, May 2014]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

yeltail_20160313_3.m4a	funereus (SE QLD)	Contact calls	© MD
yeltail_vc_20230102.mp3	funereus (NW NSW)	Contact calls (in-flight)	© VC
yeltail_20220630.m4a	funereus (Ctl W NSW)	Contact calls (pair in-flight)	© MD
yeltail_20140526.mp3	funereus (NE NSW)	Warning calls	© MD
yeltail_20140526_6.mp3	funereus (NE NSW)	Begging calls (juvenile)	© MD
yeltail_20140526_3.mp3	funereus (NE NSW)	Juvenile pestering parent	© MD

More Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Mon, 9 January 2023, 3:38 +00:00