Far north Queensland is home to all manner of birds – their presence or absence can tell us a lot about our changing seasons, the weather and environment. Lately we’ve seen red tailed black cockatoos in parts of the far north where they would not usually be seen. They’ve even been seen in significant numbers in down-town Cairns. They’re more often seen in drier parts of our region, but given the below average wet season and above average temperatures this summer, maybe they’re looking to find cooler conditions on the coast.
AUDIO Click on the red arrow to hear our wildlife correspondent Martin Cohen talk about cockatoos, the red tail black, and why they’re turning up in some unusual places.
The red tail black cockatoo is thought to have been the first eastern Australian bird illustrated by a European – Joseph Banks’ draughtsman Sydney Parkinson sketched a bird taken at Endeavour River, Cooktown in 1770.
The northern subspecies of red-tailed black cockatoo has a wide distribution and is not considered endangered. The Western Australian inland red tail is more frequently seen than was once the case, but loss of suitable nesting trees in southern Australia has adversely affected populations.
Dr Martin Cohen is ABC Far North wildlife correspondent. read more about Martin at http://www.wildaboutaustralia.com/
The Mojowire 