Black Cockatoos

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Black Cockatoos
Banks Black Cockatoo, on the left a not yet fully colored male, on the right a female

Banks Black Cockatoo , on the left a not yet fully colored male, on the right a female

Systematics
Row : Land vertebrates (Tetrapoda)
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Parrots (Psittaciformes)
Family : Cockatoos (Cacatuidae)
Genre : Black Cockatoos
Scientific name
Calyptorhynchus
Desmarest , 1826

The calyptorhynchus ( Calyptorhynchus ), sometimes black cockatoos called, are a genus of the family of Cacatuidae. These are medium to large cockatoos with plumage that is black to dark brown. The black cockatoos are considered a relatively well-studied parrot genus, as Australia is economically in a position to maintain scientific institutes that pursue ornithological issues.

Black Cockatoos are relatively seldom kept in human care. The Black Cockatoo Studbook is maintained by the Tropical Bird Garden in Bath, UK.

features

Characteristics of the genus

Black cockatoos are characterized by the colored transverse bands of the control feathers and a short to medium-length hood that can be laid flat. The thighs of the species belonging to this genus are all feathered. The wax skin is not feathered. The tail is long and slightly rounded.

In all species the beak is large and strong. However, its shape is adapted to the respective main diet. The clutch is only incubated by the female. The nestlings have long yellow dunes. The range of the genus is limited to Australia and Tasmania.

Characteristics of the subgenus group Zanda

Characteristic for the three species that belong to this subspecies group is a narrow, protruding beak with pointed halves of the beak. One subspecies has yellow, two subspecies have white feathers. How many species this subgenus group should be divided into is still a matter of debate. Some authors differentiate between two types with yellow control springs.

Features of the subgenus Calyptorhynchus

Brown-headed Black Cockatoo

Two types belong to this subgenus group. Both have a very pronounced gender dimorphism . Adult males have black body plumage and a red band on the tail feathers. In the females as well as the not yet colored young birds, the tail bands are yellow to orange. Both species have very large and powerful beaks.

Reproduction

Black Cockatoos are cave breeders. They only raise one young animal per reproductive period. The clutch often consists of two eggs. However, the younger and smaller nestling is often neglected by the parent birds, so that it dies. For this reason, there is a conservation program for Carnaby's white-eared black cockatoo , in which the second egg or nestling is removed from clutches and raised in human care. The aim is to build up an aviary population. Black cockatoo nestlings have yellowish down.

In contrast to the African and New World parrots, black cockatoos show a division of labor during the breeding process. The brood care is initially only carried out by the female. The male takes care of the female during the breeding process. It also later participates in feeding the young.

Systematics

The black cockatoos probably evolved from a black cockatoo-like ancestor together with the helmeted cockatoos and the palm cockatoo in the Tertiary . This is supported by some original features that occur in these genera. These include the presence of the A-1 feature of the aorta, the lack of blue and green structural colors in the plumage, and a tweezer-shaped beak. The black cockatoos have hardly changed since then, with the exception of the beak morphology.

Species and subspecies

The black cockatoos include the following species and subspecies, which are divided into two subgenus groups:

Black Cockatoo, male

Subgenus Calyptorhynchus :

  • Brown-headed Cockatoo ( C. lathami )
    • Queensland Brown -headed Cockatoo ( C. lathami erebus )
    • Kangaroo Island Brown -headed Cockatoo ( C. lathami halmaturinus )
    • Brown-headed Cockatoo ( C. lathami lathami )
  • Banks Black Cockatoo ( C. banksii )
    • Southern Banks Black Cockatoo ( C. banksii graptogyne )
    • Gould's red-tailed black cockatoo ( C. banksii macrorhynchus )
    • Western Australian Banks Black Cockatoo ( C. banksii naso )
    • Mathew's red-tailed black cockatoo ( C. banksii samueli )

Subgenus Zanda :

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lantermann, p. 29.
  2. ↑ Lantermann, p. 319.
  3. ↑ Hoppe, p. 80.
  4. ^ Forshaw, p. 67.
  5. ^ Forshaw, p. 86.
  6. ↑ Hoppe, p. 80.
  7. ↑ Lantermann, p. 63.
  8. ↑ Lantermann, p. 63.

literature

Web links

Commons : Black Cockatoos ( Calyptorhynchus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files