Baudin's Cockatoo  |  

Baudin’s Cockatoo is a large cockatoo that measures 50–57 cm in length, with a wingspan of approximately 110 cm, and a mass of 560–770 g. It is mostly dull black in colour, with pale whitish margins on the feathers, large, rounded patches (white to yellowish-white in the female and dusky-white to brownish-white in the male) on the ear coverts, and rectangular white panels in the tail. It has a large bill (with a very elongated upper mandible) that is coloured black in the male and whitish-grey with a black tip in the female; a dark brown iris that is surrounded by a reddish-pink eye-ring in the male and a grey eye-ring in the female; a short, rounded, erectile crest; and grey feet. Juvenile birds are like the adults in appearance, but the bill of the juvenile male is like that of the adult female. The bill of the juvenile male begins to darken after the second year. Baudin’s Cockatoo is gregarious. It is usually seen in groups of three (comprising the adult pair and a single dependent young) or in small parties, but will occasionally gather in large flocks of up to 300 birds during the non-breeding season, usually at sites where food is abundant.