Red-tailed Black Cockatoo in Mildura?

["Pedionomus" <>]

Hello all,

At the present I am enjoying holidays in a very wet Perth.
I am staying with relatives in Thornlie, one of the southern suburbs, and
have been enjoying Black-Cockatoos of the western type. Both Baudin's and
Carnaby's have flown over the neighbourhood, most though have been
Carnaby's.

Mick Todd referred to a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo which
had visited the Riverina of NSW. Off the top of my head it was around 2002.
A pair had first been sighted by John and Glenys (now dec.) Nevinson on
the property known as 'The Ranch' where they remained for about a
month. The pair were observed by a number of pther people also while in
this location. They left and all thought that would have been the last
they would be heard of. Whether it was the same pair or not we can't be
sure, however a female turned up only a couple days later at Oolambeyan
National Park. Talking with one of the neighbours to the park he indiciated
he had seen a pair, however one bird had come to blows with a powerline (it
was thought) and had died. The female bird happily made itself at home at
Oolambeyan for almost three months before heading off. 

This bird was
observed feeding mostly on the ground on catheads and other seeds and once
observed feeding on the cone of White Cypress Pine.

During the same
period a male bird was also observed at Hillston, about an hours drive north
of Griffith, NSW.

Discussions with various people, and based on the
behaviour of this female bird I think it was thought that the bird had come
from the the Darling River group. I would have to check the notes which I
had made to make sure I am right on that.

It will be interesting to
see if others see the bird and how long it hangs around
for.

Cheers
David Parker
Griffith, NSW
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