Description

Male Red-tails have glossy black plumage with stunning, bright red tail panels. Females are quite different but equally spectacular – they are one of the most brightly marked subspecies of Red-Tail.

They have duller brown-black plumage but the feathers of their head, neck and parts of their wing are speckled with yellow. Viewed from below, their body is barred in pale orange-yellow. Their tail barring can be almost all pale yellow or pale yellow grading to pale orange-yellow at the tip. Females have an off-white bill which one volunteer suggests looks like the birds are carrying golf balls! Males have a grey bill. Juveniles are difficult to distinguish from adult females from the age of 1 to 3 years.

Seasonal Behaviour

Through Spring and early summer, the breeding season, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos are generally seen alone or as family parties of 2 to 3 birds. In autumn and winter, flocks of 100 to 250 birds can be seen in areas with a good food supply.

Range and habitat of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo