white-tailed Black-cockatoos at Yanchep, WA

[Echidna Walkabout JD <>]

Hi all

We saw an enormous flock (at least 500, I estimated 1000) white-tailed Black-cockatoos flying across the highway in Yanchep NP on Friday 22nd June at around 3.10pm.  I have a few photos, which suggest Carnaby's, but I also have calls recorded which suggest Baudin's.  The call has a high-pitched whistling quality - more of a "wa - witch-ow!" than a "wy-lah".  Listening to both species' calls on the Morcombe Iphone app today still left me in some doubt - the flock call of the Carnaby's is possible (and this was a huge flock), but most of the calls I recorded were of single birds or pairs that had stopped near us.  Also, some of the birds were seen tearing at the bark of rough-barked eucalyptus trees - a habit noted for Baudin's (according to Simon Nevill's Birds of the Greater South West.) 

Here is a link to a Picasa album with the best photos I have: https://picasaweb.google.com/112756569112498336946/PicsWAJune2012  Please forgive the poor quality of the photos.  I can't figure out a way to upload the sound recordings, but I can email them to anyone who wants them.

I know the location strongly suggests Carnaby's but the call is really giving me trouble.  Being from Melbourne I really don't know these birds at all.

Janine

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