Calyptorhynchus banksii
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The red-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) also known as Banksian- or Banks' black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo native to Australia. Adult males have a characteristic pair of bright red panels on the tail that gives the species its name. It is more common in the drier parts of the continent. Five subspecies are recognised, differing chiefly in beak size. Although the more northerly subspecies are widespread, the two southern subspecies, the forest red-tailed black cockatoo and the south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo are under threat.
The species is usually found in eucalyptus woodlands, or along water courses. In the more northerly parts of the country, these cockatoos are commonly seen in large flocks. They are seed eaters and cavity nesters, and as such depend on trees with fairly large diameters, generally Eucalyptus. Populations in southeastern Australia are threatened by deforestation and other habitat alterations. Of the black cockatoos, the red-tailed is the most adaptable to aviculture, although black cockatoos are much rarer and much more expensive in aviculture outside Australia.
The species complex was first described by... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perth | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo sighting in Daintree National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 155th most-seen of the 208 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo in Daintree National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo sightings, Daintree National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nitmiluk National Park (Australia, about 50%), Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 50%) and Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 40%).
Same family: Psittacidae
The closest relatives of the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo that you can see in Daintree National Park (family Psittacidae, New World and African Parrots) are Coconut Lorikeet (about 50%), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (about 50%) and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is recorded against all the birds logged in Daintree National Park (21 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
