Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo | Miles To The Wild

The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) is a large cockatoo native to the south-east of Australia measuring 55–65 cm (22–26 in) in length. It has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly brownish black and it has prominent yellow cheek patches and a yellow tail band. The body feathers are edged with yellow giving a scalloped appearance.

These photos were taken near the Cheese Shop on Bruny Island.

Here’s a couple pics taken near Stanthorpe, Queensland.

The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo is found in forested regions from south and central eastern Queensland to southeastern South Australia and on Tasmania. I have seen them near the afore-mentioned Cheese Shop on Bruny Island, near Hobart, near Girraween in South-East Queensland and on the road to Lamington National Park. They can also be seen in the outer suburbs of Brisbane near Mt Glorius.

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Tasmania Parks & Wildlife

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Nice close-ups of a YTBC eating.

Bruny Island is on the bucket list of many birders for its rich and varied birdlife. Inala has a good list of birds and mammals found here. They can also provide accommodation and guided birding tours.

Being budget travelers, we birded independently as we drove south from the ferry dock. Here are some of the best birds we saw (that I got pics of).

We saw our first Tasmanian endemic bird – Green Rosellas a few km before the Cheese shop.

A small flock of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos were in the trees surrounding the Cheese Shop.

Assorted sparrows, LBJs and Fairy-wrens were at the Penguin Cafe hoping to snatch up leftover food.

The bright blue Superb Fairy-wrens are male, the brown ones are female.

We saw a Scarlet Robin in the Captain Cook Caravan Park grounds.

Moving down to the beach opposite Captain Cook’s we saw some black swans.

Tasmanian Native Hens were in the grounds at Captain Cook’s.

These Green Rosellas were foraging at the entrance to Captain Cook’s.

We had almost given up hope for the Swift Parrots when a lady said she saw some near her cabin which was one of the cabins nearest the beach. Sure enough, there was a Swift Parrot living up to his name by flying swiftly from one tree to another. I did my best to get a good shot but he wasn’t going to make it easy!