Save the Vulnerable Glossy Black Cockatoo

Thanks to the support of our partners, OzGREEN is launching two initiatives to help save the Vulnerable Black Glossy Cockatoo.

Did you know…

that Glossy Black Cockatoos only feed on one of two species.

the Aloo Casuarina and the …

Friday 4 September 3-5 pm

Boambee Creek Headland Reserve

Tree Planting Event

Join us to plant Aloo Casuarinas at Boambee Creek Headland!

Register Below

Feed Tree Giveaway

Are you a Landowner who could plant feed trees on your land?

We are looking for landowners who could plant and care for a grove of Aloo Casuarinas on their land.

She-oaks may take at least 5 years from planting, and up to 15 years after fire, to produce food for Glossy Black Cockatoos. Planting suitable feed trees now can help ensure birds have enough food in the future.

Register Interest Below

Learn more

about this vulnerable species

Check out the Birdlife Australia South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo Field Guide at the link below.

Field Guide

Become a Glossy Black Spotter !

Join the citizen science effort working to support this species

You can record Glossy Black-Cockatoo data on the Birdata website (birdata.birdlife.org.au) or on the Birdata mobile app through the “Southeastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo” module. You can also email your data to GlossyBC@birdlife.org.au.

You can record data for:

Glossy Black-Cockatoos
Feed trees (she-oak trees)

Understanding where Glossy Black-Cockatoos live, nest and feed is essential for protecting them. Every sighting, every record of a feed tree, and every nesting observation helps build our national knowledge base for this species.
Citizen science data collected through projects like the Great Glossy Count supports habitat protection, bushfire recovery, and development of the National Recovery Plan.

Download the Survey 123 App
Choose ‘Option 3 - Field sightings’ ( if required)
Continue without signing in (or set up a sign in if you want to)
Click on Biliirrgan Glossy Black-Cockatoo
Click on Collect to start a field survey and enter your data
Submit your data and photos if you have them

Survey 123 App

More about the Glossy Black

The South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo is listed as Vulnerable in Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT, and Critically Endangered in Victoria. It is also listed as Vulnerable nationally under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Smaller and quieter than other black-cockatoos, these birds are known for their striking red-orange tail panels, dark-brown head plumage, and strong pair bonds. They depend on two key natural assets: she-oak trees for feeding, and mature eucalypts with large hollows for nesting.

South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoos live in patches of woodland and forest from central Queensland to eastern Victoria. Their range overlaps with human development, which has led to widespread habitat loss and fragmentation.
These birds are highly mobile but tied to specific habitat features:
Woodlands containing she-oaks (predominantly of genus Allocasuarina) for food
Large, hollow-bearing eucalypts for nesting, usually near drinking sites
Glossy Black-Cockatoos are specialist feeders, relying entirely on seeds from the cones of native she-oak trees. Their powerful beaks are adapted to crack open cones, leaving distinctive cone fragments called “chewings” or orts under feed trees.
1. They are highly selective, often returning to preferred trees while ignoring others nearby. Because not all she-oaks bear cones, and not all she-oaks with cones are fed on by the birds, identifying and protecting key feed trees is critical to conservation.
The South-eastern Glossy Black-Cockatoo is under threat from:
Land clearing for agriculture, housing and infrastructure
Inappropriate fire regimes (including intense wildfires and planned burns which are poorly
timed or burn too fast or too hot)
Loss of nest trees which are usually mature trees with hollows suitable for nesting
Climate change, drought and food shortages
Head - Dull brown-black with most females having irregular patches of yellow feathers on face. Males generally have no yellow on face. Juveniles have small, distinct yellow spots on face and body.
Body - All black (dull). Fledglings, juveniles and subadults may have small, pale yellow spots or barring on belly, chest, and wings.
Tail - Black, with: Females – red/orange/ yellow panels with black barring. Males – red panels. Juvenile and subadult males – red panels with black barring. May have combination of bars/no bars.
Call - A drawn-out, wheezing and grating kee-aiirrk or airrk.
Behaviour - Feeds exclusively on she oak trees (Allocasuarina/ Casuarina) species. If you see a black-cockatoo feeding on a tree or shrub that is something other than a she-oak, it is unlikely that bird is a Glossy BlackCockatoo. Mostly solitary or in small groups of 2 – 3 birds, however they can come together in large flocks.

Identifying Feed Trees

“Feed trees” are she-oaks with cones that Glossy Black-Cockatoos feed on or have fed on. Within a she-oak species, some trees (e.g., male trees) never produce cones, which means not all she-oaks are feed trees. She-oaks with cones have the potential to be feed trees but Glossy Black-Cockatoos may not choose to feed on them. Glossy Black-Cockatoos are highly selective about the trees and cones they choose to feed on. They often return to the same trees to feed on while ignoring nearby trees with cones.

Recognising feeding evidence and habitat

When Glossy Black-Cockatoos feed on the seeds in she-oak cones, they leave behind chewed cones or fragments of cones, known as “chewings”, or “orts”. Glossy Black-Cockatoos will chew a cone from top to bottom, usually leaving behind many disc-shaped fragments of cone. When other parrot species (e.g., rosellas, corellas, and galahs) feed on she-oak cones, they usually leave behind chewed cones shaped like apple cores.
The presence of chewings can show us where Glossy Black-Cockatoos have been feeding, even when birds are no longer present. The colour of chewings can provide a good indication of when birds have visited the area: • whitish-green chewings were chewed days ago; • orange-red chewings were chewed weeks ago; and • brown-grey chewings were chewed months ago. The number of chewings found under a tree can also indicate preference for that particular tree; if there are only one or two half-eaten chewings under a tree, a Glossy Black-Cockatoo has likely had a taste-test then decided to move on. Preferred trees often have a carpet of chewings underneath them.
Like other cockatoos, Glossy BlackCockatoos require tree hollows for nesting. Nesting hollows are typically in old, large, eucalypt trees (living or dead), with an entrance 20 – 25 cm wide and located 10 – 20 metres above the ground. Glossy Black-Cockatoos often choose nesting hollows close to a drinking site, and usually return to the same nesting hollow over successive seasons.