Glossy Black-Cockatoo

About the Glossy Black-Cockatoo

The glossy black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) is a species of bird found in Australia. It is the smallest member of the subfamily Calyptorhynchinae, and found in eastern Australia. Adult glossy black cockatoos may reach 50 cm (19.5 in) in length. They are sexually dimorphic. Males are blackish brown, except for their prominent sub-terminal red tail bands; the females are dark brownish with idiosyncratic yellow marking around the neck and prominent sub-terminal tail band of red with black bars.

Three subspecies have been recognised. Calyptorhynchus lathami lathami, or south-eastern glossy black cockatoo, is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), while the Kangaroo Island subspecies (C. l. halmaturinis) is listed as endangered. The subdivision into subspecies has been recently challenged, with a detailed morphological analysis by Saunders and Pickup 2023, who have argued that with no differentiation in bill morphology, little difference in genetic makeup, no differences in plumage pattern or colour, and no differences in diet, there is no justification in subdividing the species. C. l. erebus, is listed under state legislation in Queensland only. Wikipedia →