Perhaps we are spoiled here in the southern end of Gungahlin, but we are so used to seeing YTBCs here that I have not thought to join the many who are reporting them on this chatline at the moment.
YTBCs feed on the Radiata Pine cones on both sides of the Barton Highway just before the turnoff to Gungahlin on the big roundabout. They drink from Ginninderra Creek at the crossing a 500 metres into Gungahlin where they can climb down the reeds to the water.
I well remember the Percival Hill walk I led a few years ago when we saw 70 drinking there. They also visit the stands of casuarina trees a little further on behind where I live in Kangaroo Close. They are regular visitors to the little pocket of remnant
old growth forest near the top of Percival Hill seeking wood grubs. Some roost on Percival Hill at night at the moment as I see or hear them late afternoon and early morning. The numbers seem to have increased since the bushfires.
From: Rods Gardening <>
Date: Saturday, 18 April 2020 at 12:38 pm
To: "" <>
Cc: "" <>, Terry Munro <>, chatline <>
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos
I recall seeing a flock of 50 in Red Hill just after the fires. Yesterday I watched 8 fly into a dead gumtree in Holder, not a leaf on it, the birds were stripping the bark off the smaller branches in between dodging the lone Currawang
intent on harassing each one individually.
Rod
On 17 Apr 2020, at 4:53 pm, wrote:
After the big flocks resulting from the 2003 fires, numbers dropped again but they were still seen around. However, since the Orroral Valley etc fires they seem to have have been very common again,
but in much smaller numbers together. The eBird map shows there have been close to 100 reports of them in the past month, many on the northside, so they are roaming quite widely. I’ve certainly observed them more than usual since New Year, every GBS week
except 2, though a maximum of 12 only before this morning when a loose group of 15, typically including some begging young, came high over.
Jack Holland
From: Martin Butterfield <>
Sent: Friday, 17 April 2020 3:29 PM
To: Terry Munro <>
Cc: COG Chatline <>
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos
Terry's report was interesting to me in that I just commented in another forum that when the big flocks came into Canberra after the 2003 fires they seemed to feed quite often on the Hakea nuts
in our garden. So perhaps Hakea is a preferred food genus.
On Fri, 17 Apr 2020 at 14:42, Terry Munro <> wrote:
Right now I have 3 YTBC feeding in our back yard Hekea tree. They have been there most of the after noon. This is a first time.
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