Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Common Name: Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Scientific Name: Zanda funerea

Native to: South-east Australia

What Does it look like: The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo is a large bird—it can be up to 65 cm long! It is almost entirely black, with distinctive yellow panels on its tail and yellow patches on its face.  

Diet and Habitat: The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo lives in all different habitat types, but it prefers native, temperate forests like eucalyptus forests. However, it can also be found in pine plantations (areas where lots of pine trees have been planted). Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos feed in groups. In these groups, they can make a big spectacle, making a racket of noise and a mess as they dine. Their favourite food includes larvae inside trees, seeds from native trees and shrubs, and seeds from pine cones. 

STEM Fun Fact: Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos can live between 40 and 60 years!