Glossy BlackCockatoo food trees

Alan and others

A while ago a botanist told me that seeds from the cones of the genus Casuarina drop out every year, while the seeds from Allocasuarina stay in the cone and drop out after a fire event or the like. If this is true (can someone confirm this??), then it would be fruitless for glossies to try Casuarina cones, except maybe for a brief period.

There's only one botanist (of four) in the office today and we can't seem to find out any more info at this moment. Will keep searching.

Cheers
Anthony


Anthony Overs
Recovery Planning Officer
Threatened Species Unit
Southern Directorate 
NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
PO Box 2115 Queanbeyan NSW 2620
Ph: 02 6298 9730   Fax: 02 6299 4281
Email:

12/03/02 14:49

To:         @ INTERNET         cc:                 Subject:        [BIRDING-AUS] Glossy BlackCockatoo food trees

Hi Birders,
Judie Peet asked if there were any refences in the literature of Glossy Black Cockatoos feeding on Casuarina cunninghamiana River Oak. A check with HANZAB makes no reference to such behaviour. As the seeds and the seed pod of River Oak are quite small this is understandable. There is reference in HANZAB to Glossies feeding on the seeds of C. glauca Swamp Oak, another tree with small seeds and small seed pods. Here on the Central Coast of NSW there are extensive stands of Swamp Oak but Glossies rarely ever are seen feeding on the seeds, preferring the more usual fare of the Allocasuarina torulosa Forest Oak, A. littoralis and A. verticulata.

I have not heard of Glossies feeding in River oak.

Alan Morris
records Officer, Birding NSW






This message is intended for the addressee named and may contain
confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please
delete it and notify the sender. Views expressed in this message may be
those of the individual sender, and are not necessarily the views of the
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Hi Birders,

Judie Peet asked if there were any refences in the literature of Glossy Black Cockatoos feeding on Casuarina cunninghamiana River Oak. A check with HANZAB makes no reference to such behaviour. As the seeds and the seed pod of River Oak are quite small this is understandable. There is reference in HANZAB to Glossies feeding on the seeds of C. glauca Swamp Oak, another tree with small seeds and small seed pods. Here on the Central Coast of NSW there are extensive stands of Swamp Oak but Glossies rarely ever are seen feeding on the seeds, preferring the more usual fare of the Allocasuarina torulosa Forest Oak, A. littoralis and A. verticulata.

 

I have not heard of Glossies feeding in River oak.

 

Alan Morris

records Officer, Birding NSW