An uncommon sight in the eastern states of Australia is the Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) also known as the Casuarina Cockatoo as it feeds on She-oak (Casuarina) cones. They are unobtrusive but large (46-51cm [18-20″]) blackish brown birds and are found in coastal forest and open inland woodland in eastern Australia.
They breed between March and August and nest in a layer of woodchips in large tree hollows, often high off the ground. They only have one baby which stays with the parents for several months learning from them until it is fully mature.
The Gang Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) can be difficult to keep in captivity because of feeding and feather-pulling problems. They are owl-like small (33-36cm [12-14″]) dark grey cockatoos patterned by pale margins to rather square feathers with an olive wash on the wings. The male birds have a light red head and crest, hence their other name, Red-crowned Cockatoo or Helmeted Cockatoo. In the wild they feed on seeds as well as insects, including the pupa or maggot in acacia galls. Gang Gang Cockatoos are found in south-eastern parts of Australia from the mid-north coast of NSW south along the coast to the far south-west Victoria.
There is a lesson to learn from these birds if you want to attract them to your garden. Plant She-oaks and other native plants they frequent and feed off. Don’t remove all disease from your plants as they can be a source of food for cockatoos and other native birds as the acacia galls are for the Gang Gang cockatoos.