For the month of May we're featuring one of Australia's most iconic birds, the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo. Striking, intelligent, and with a presence that's hard to put into words, this is a species that tends to leave a lasting impression.

Did you know?

The vivid red tail panels that give this species its name are exclusive to the males, females sport a subtler beauty of orange-yellow barring across their tail and chest. You can tell a lot about a Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo just by looking at its tail.

📏 Size: 55–65 cm (around 24 inches), a large, powerful bird with a crest that they use expressively and often.

🎂 Lifespan: 45–50+ years in good conditions. Another species where the commitment is generational.

🧠 Personality: Intelligent, observant, and quietly confident. These birds aren't usually the loudest in the room, but they miss nothing. They bond closely with trusted people and can be incredibly affectionate, but on their own terms.

🌍 Native To: Australia, across a range of habitats from tropical woodlands in the north to drier inland areas. Several subspecies exist, some of which are endangered in the wild.

🌿 Support Tip: Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos have specialist dietary needs, in the wild they spend much of their day cracking hard seeds and nuts, so enrichment that satisfies that natural drive is essential. They are not well-suited to inexperienced ownership, and in many places are protected species with strict legal considerations around keeping them.