Baudin’s Black Cockatoos are the rarest of the three south west black cockatoos in Western Australia. Just 4,000 of these birds remain in the wild.
Baudin’s are very similar in appearance to the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos with white tail feathers and a white cheek patch. Their beak however is quite distinct. It is long and narrow and perfect for getting marri seeds out of mature nuts.
Baudin’s are listed as endangered. They prefer the cover of their forest habitat to the open woodlands and coastal plains favoured by the Carnaby’s. With their forest in decline due to clearing the Baudin’s have adapted to eating apple and pear seeds and to feasting in nut orchards. These habits have put them in conflict with farmers. In the past, white cockatoos were considered a pest to agriculture and a bounty was placed on their heads. It is now illegal to shoot any black cockatoos but Baudin’s are still being shot by orchardists at alarming rates.
