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
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