Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo or Baudin’s Black Cockatoo?
Here's how to tell the difference
Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo
Baudin’s Black Cockatoo
Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus latirostris
Also known as: Short-Billed Black Cockatoo
General appearance
The Carnaby’s black cockatoo is a large parrot with an overall sooty black coloration. They have a characteristic crest of feathers on their heads and beige patches on their cheeks. Their tail feathers are also adorned with beige panels. In flight, they display bright white markings on their wings.
Male vs female
Males and females have slightly different appearances. Males have dark grey beaks and pink eye-rings, while females have bone-colored beaks and grey eye-rings. Females also display barred feathering on their crests, while males have solid black crests.
Juvenile
Juvenile Carnaby’s black cockatoos resemble females with their bone-colored beaks, but they lack the female's barred crest feathering. Their eye-rings are duller in colour, often appearing brown. As they mature, males develop dark beaks and pink eye-rings, while females maintain their appearance.
Size
21.7 - 23.6 in/20.5 - 27.2 oz
There's more to learn about Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo
View full detailsBaudin’s Black Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus baudinii
Also known as: Baudin's Cockatoo, Long-Billed Black Cockatoo
General appearance
The Baudin's black cockatoo, a large and striking bird, has primarily blackish plumage highlighted with undertones of brown. It's impressive in size, with the upperparts of its body and wings featuring scattered white or light yellow specks. Its distinguishing characteristic is a broad tail with white panels on the side and a rounded tip.
Male vs female
Sexual dimorphism exists among these birds, allowing males and females to be distinguished. Male Baudin's cockatoos have a dark grey beak and pink eye-rings, whilst females have a lighter, horn-coloured beak and grey eye-rings. Additionally, females have more prominent and numerous specks on their head, neck, and underparts compared to males.
Juvenile
Juvenile Baudin's black cockatoos resemble adult females but have paler beaks, and a yellow tint on their lower parts which disappears as they mature. The barring and spotting are not as defined compared to adults. Their eye-rings begin as a soft pink and harden to grey as they mature.
Size
21.7 - 23.6 in/19.0 - 27.9 oz
There's more to learn about Baudin’s Black Cockatoo
View full detailsHow to tell the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo from the Baudin’s Black Cockatoo
Visual differences
Carnaby's and Baudin's Black-Cockatoos can be differentiated visually by plumage and features. Carnaby's has sooty black coloration and beige cheek patches, while Baudin's has blackish-brown plumage with white or light yellow specks. Carnaby's has white wing markings in flight and beige tail panels; Baudin's tail is broad and white-sided. Both species have dark grey beaks and pink eye-rings in males, but female Carnaby's have bone-colored beaks, and females of both have distinctive specks or feather barrings on their heads and undersides. Both are similar in size, ranging 22-24 inches long, weighing 1.19-1.74 lbs.
Key differences and behavior
Carnaby's and Baudin's Black-Cockatoos, both native to southwestern Australia, exhibit distinct behavioral traits. Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo prefers eucalypt woodlands and urban settings, exhibiting vocal behavior and elaborate courtship with nests 517 feet apart, while Baudin's inhabits more diverse forest environments, including agricultural areas. Both species are monogamous, but Baudin's involves mutual preening in courtship. Carnaby's diet leans heavily on seeds and nuts, with insect supplements during breeding, while Baudin's is more varied, including fruits like almonds and marri. Carnaby’s nestlings fledge at 10-12 weeks, compared to Baudin’s 3-month period. Despite diet adaptability at feeders, both face endangerment threats due to habitat changes.
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