Glossies are very specialist feeders, feeding only on the tiny seeds within a She-oak cone, and in the Tweed they feed almost entirely on the seeds of the Forest Oak, the Black She-oak and the Horse-tail She-oak. Image by Cris Muggeridge THERE is an entire day dedicated to spotting the rare glossy black cockatoo in the Tweed.
Although this may sound unappealing to some, it is vital to help the Glossy Black Conservancy to learn more about the distribution, habitat use and population numbers of the threatened bird.
"Glossy Black-Cockatoo annual birding days draw up to 200 volunteers, who spend the day searching for Glossy Black-Cockatoos across nine regional council areas, including Tweed and Byron," Tweed Shire Council's biodiversity planner Marama Hopkins said.
"Their search efforts are rewarded with sightings of the rare and secretive birds, with hotspots in the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Scenic Rim Regions."
The birds are less gregarious and quieter than their cockatoo relatives and tend to travel in small groups of two or three.
They are the smallest of the Black Cockatoos, have red panels on their tail feathers and do not have the prominent crests seen in other species.
The females also have characteristic patches of yellow feathers on their heads. In the Tweed the glossies feed almost entirely on the seeds of the Forest Oak, the Black She-oak and the Horse-tail She-oak."
Volunteers can survey on public land where Glossy Black Cockatoo feeding habitat is available or on their own properties," Ms Hopkins said.
There will be a workshop before the event at the Pottsville Environment Park on Saturday May 4, from 9am to 11am, to assist volunteers in identifying the Glossy Black-Cockatoo, identifying their feed trees and feeding remains and providing information on how to collect data.
If you would like participate in the Glossy Black-Cockatoo birding day on Sunday May 19 or attend the workshop contact Marama Hopkins on (02) 6670 2787 or tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au.