birding-aus

Re: birding-aus Cockatoo flying behaviour

To: "Martin O'Brien" <>
Subject: Re: birding-aus Cockatoo flying behaviour
From: Brian Fleming <>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 15:19:27 +1000
Martin O'Brien wrote:
> 
> A question  for the list.
> 
> My father was inquiring about why different cockatoo species fly the
> way
> they do.  Sulphur-crested Cockatoos have the seemingly unco-ordinated
> double flapping (with no apprent pattern) while Yellow-tailed Black
> Cockatoos have a very "lazy" gentle flight pattern.
> 
> I'm interested in people's thoughts on the matter.  Do the different
> patterns confer an "advantage" or are they related to movement and
> habitat
> or flock structure.  Is there any explanation at all??
> 
> Over to you.
> 
> p.s. I haven't checked HANZAB at this stage as I am interested in
> personal
> views.
> 
> Martin O'Brien
> Executive Scientific Officer
> Scientific Advisory Committee
> Threatened Species Program
> Department of Natural Resources and Environment
> 4/250 Victoria Pde.,
> East Melbourne,  3002
> Victoria, AUSTRALIA
> 
> tel: +61 3 9412 4567
> fax: +61 3 9412 4586
> e-mail: 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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I can't give an answer to these differences, but after all Yellow-tailed
Blacks are very big Cockatoos, and I believe them to be very competent
long distance fliers. 
I am always struck by the way Galahs fly - a very competent easy flight,
very like a gull's, which seems suited to long-distance travel.
I have noticed that the flight of both Corellas is different to the
Sulphur-Crested's, but I can't say from memory what the difference
actually is!
I rather think that Sulphur-Cresteds 'double-flap' untidily when they
are going round and round after disturbance, or when they're thinking of
landing.  I think they fly much more steadily when actually going from A
to B.  But I could be wrong, I quite often am. But it is exactly the
sort of question which should be asked.
Anthea Fleming in Melbourne
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