• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Flock of black cockatoos

Sulphy Too

Strolling the yard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/14/13
Messages
103
Location
Australia
Hello everyone from Wandilligong . A few days ago I saw a huge flock of black cockatoos .Not the black cockys with the red under the wings and on the tail , but the ones with the white / yellow patch on the cheek and tail . Normally this is no big deal but this is the biggest flock I have ever seen .At first I counted 41 birds but then more birds kept appearing in smaller flocks to join the big one . I swear there must be at least 80 to 100 birds making that distinct black cockatoo shrieking sound .I wish I had my camera to capture the moment .I think they like this area because there are pine forests about and they like the pine cone seeds . Usually
I see small flocks of less than 10 birds unlike the sulphur crested cockatoos where I'm sure I saw a flock of at least 1000 .near the town of Benalla close to the highway in a farmers field .Hope everyone on the forum is doing fine since I last posted quite awhile ago
 

expressmailtome

Ripping up the road
Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/15/10
Messages
49,992
Real Name
Matthew
That must have been quite a sight.
 

Just-passn-thru

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
1/13/16
Messages
5,546
Location
Southern California
Real Name
Suzanne
Hello everyone from Wandilligong . A few days ago I saw a huge flock of black cockatoos .Not the black cockys with the red under the wings and on the tail , but the ones with the white / yellow patch on the cheek and tail . Normally this is no big deal but this is the biggest flock I have ever seen .At first I counted 41 birds but then more birds kept appearing in smaller flocks to join the big one . I swear there must be at least 80 to 100 birds making that distinct black cockatoo shrieking sound .I wish I had my camera to capture the moment .I think they like this area because there are pine forests about and they like the pine cone seeds . Usually
I see small flocks of less than 10 birds unlike the sulphur crested cockatoos where I'm sure I saw a flock of at least 1000 .near the town of Benalla close to the highway in a farmers field .Hope everyone on the forum is doing fine since I last posted quite awhile ago
Were they the Carnaby Black Cockatoo ? what a sight to behold ! :cloud9::marlenesmile:
Carnaby's black cockatoo - Wikipedia
 

Dona

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
3/13/18
Messages
3,625
Location
Maryland
Wow that sounds amazing! Why can’t there be giant flocks of Toos flying over me in Pittsburgh!?? I was happy when a lone Robin landed a foot away from me at the pool yesterday lol
I bet that really was great to see, lucky you!
LOL agree! I go nuts when I see a bluebird or scarlet tanager. Maryland is full of cute, but mostly brown birds.
 

Sulphy Too

Strolling the yard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/14/13
Messages
103
Location
Australia
Hi Dona, Suzanne, Matthew and Kelly : It really was a sight to see so many because they are an endangered species with risk of extinction .They are Carnaby black cockatoos to answer Suzanne's question .I think I posted a couple of pictures of a few eating outside the house the day after Christmas . I've had a couple of them sitting on my shoulders at aFlying High Bird Sanctuary near Childers Queensland . They are so good natured placid birds . In Queesland I see more of the black and red cockatoos than down south .I think the reason people don't see many birds is because they are in or near a city .I'm currently in the Victorian"Alps" where people go to ski in the winter . You see a lot of wildlife but not just birds and the same same can be said around the Snowy River. I loe all the birds but king parrots will pretty much top my list in terms of looks , the sounds they make and their general nature .
 

Dona

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
3/13/18
Messages
3,625
Location
Maryland
Yes, I live in the suburbs now, but raised my kids in the country. We had lots of wildlife back then, foxes and deer and rumors of bobcats and bears. A large variety of birds visited our bird feeders and of course squirrels made it their life's work to get to the bird seed. But I would just love to live in an area where cockatoos or tropical birds could live. It must be so amazing.
 

Sulphy Too

Strolling the yard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/14/13
Messages
103
Location
Australia
I wouldn't call where I am tropical but northern Queensland is .Home of the palm cockatoo -one rare bird . I think it would be a blast to go to Costa Rica and see macaws flying around in the wild . Volunteer to help people in the conservation of the parrot species over there . Home page - Macaw Recovery Network How are you @Shezbug?
 

Sulphy Too

Strolling the yard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/14/13
Messages
103
Location
Australia
Dona : Country living is great isn't it . You have wildlife but different types though I must say there are some deer here we have to watch out for but they are not native .Roos a worry though . I went past a big one sitting right in the center of the road on the oncoming trafficlanein the middle of the night .Do you have bald eagles on the east coast like on the west coast and Alaska?
 

Dona

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
3/13/18
Messages
3,625
Location
Maryland
Dona : Country living is great isn't it . You have wildlife but different types though I must say there are some deer here we have to watch out for but they are not native .Roos a worry though . I went past a big one sitting right in the center of the road on the oncoming trafficlanein the middle of the night .Do you have bald eagles on the east coast like on the west coast and Alaska?
LOL I'd just faint if I saw a kangaroo.

Yes, there are bald eagles here. I have seen them at the beach (Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean) a few times.
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,837
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez
I wouldn't call where I am tropical but northern Queensland is .Home of the palm cockatoo -one rare bird . I think it would be a blast to go to Costa Rica and see macaws flying around in the wild . Volunteer to help people in the conservation of the parrot species over there . Home page - Macaw Recovery Network How are you @Shezbug?
Thanks for asking @Sulphy Too! I’m ok, wearing lots of layers to keep warm lol and dreaming of warmer places to be.
Burt and I have been watching all the different birds that visit our new garden and fly over our new house.....a flock of galahs big enough to make a moving pink patch in the sky had Burt rather excited yesterday which is much better than him panicking when we see the massive birds of prey (black tailed kites I think they are) which seem to be fairly comfy with popping into back yards. They are huge!
The flock of black cockatoos you saw must have been a lovely treat for you :)
I wish I had seen it too!!
 

Sulphy Too

Strolling the yard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/14/13
Messages
103
Location
Australia
@Shezbug @Dona : Isn't it something that just when you experience that really rare moment where you want to catch a shot or make a video of you don't have your camera ? Good to hear both you and Burt are doing well Mildura way . It's freeezing here .As soon as the sun dips below the mountain you can feel the temperature drop. So you have to keep Burt safe from kites and I have to watch out for wedge tailed eagles I think are about the same size as a bald eagle . I see a nesting pair lazily circling round and around till they find their prey and I'd love to see one of them make the mistake of dive bombing to get my too while he is under the hail netting . He would probably bounce 6 feet back in the air and be stunned for half an hour . Then I'd really have a unique photo to show this community - but I doubt it will ever happen . @Dona : See - you probably have lots of great animals about where you are but you need to go out a bit further out to see them or to a State park. Just as long as you don't cross paths with bears . :) Those roos and wallabies are very much like the deer . Take this evening about an hour and a half going home from work a hunded yards from home . A young wallaby crosses the road indescisively in front of us as we are slowing down then sits about two yards from the road then turns around and bounces back in front of the car again . What on earth is going on inside his head when the lights of the car are not on to blind or get hime dazed . I dunno . Wombats can do a lot of damage to your car if you hit a large male . Shezbug knows all of this stuff I'm sure . I think I'll dig up my camera and take a couple of pictures to post .Sometimes this too of mine drives me crazy . Spoilt and very demanding .It's 7:40 and he wants his peas and they better be be warm before he will eat them . Shheeeesh.
 
Last edited:

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,837
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez
This afternoon I was driving home on a really quiet road and slowed down for a big lizard lazily crossing the road. I nearly had a heart attack when a kite shot out of the sky and took the lizard from off the road. There are some amazing things that you get to see in our country areas but can’t capture on film....unfortunately they happen too fast or when you least expect it.
 

JoJo&Loki

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
6/3/19
Messages
2,627
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Real Name
Kelly
Ok you’ve really made me want to take a trip to the country!
I live in the suburbs of Pittsburgh PA, and while I do see lots of turkey, deer etc well there’s nothing “tropical” about Pittsburgh lol
Australia is, without a doubt the country I want to visit most...maybe someday :cool:
 

Begone

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Shutterbugs' Best
Joined
11/29/12
Messages
15,651
From the moment I read your first words I knew that you wasn't located in Sweden. :D
Black wild birds, yes, we have a lot of them. Black Too's, no don't think so. :p

And Welcome Back! :)
 

Sulphy Too

Strolling the yard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/14/13
Messages
103
Location
Australia
Hi @Lady Jane ,@JoJo&Loki and all :If you love birds and bird watching you will love Australia . The same goes if you love the warm and the heat depending where you go .Best thing for Americans is that the Aussie buck is around 69 cents US where as 7 years ago the buck used to be $1.10 US. Just don't mess with the snakes or the cassowaries in the tropical rainforests . The cassowaries can run 30 miles an hour , jump 7 feet straight up in the air and swim real fast .:):)
 
Last edited:
Top