Calyptorhynchus banksii
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 1,015 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 186 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June, September and November
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo in Kakadu National Park on a given day, against about 20% in March, the lowest month. Those are among Kakadu National Park's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain a month against 350 mm in January. February has too few records to rate.
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.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo sightings, Kakadu National Park ranks 2nd at about 50%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Nitmiluk National Park (Australia, about 50%).
Same family: Psittacidae
The closest relatives of the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo that you can see in Kakadu National Park (family Psittacidae, New World and African Parrots) are Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (about 60%), Little Corella (about 60%) and Red-collared Lorikeet (about 40%), 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 Kakadu National Park (1,015 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.
