It is interesting behaviour
While we were travelling in the Kimberley we disentangled a red tail black cockatoo from a barbwire fence. It was probably there quite a while because it was fairly weak. While we were working on the wire the flock (about 200 birds) wheeled around us and perched in overhead trees calling loudly.
Once it was off the fence we patched it up, gave it a drink and let it go. As it flew slowly off, the whole flock followed it and when it landed they all landed around it – it was extraordinary to witness.
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:12:55 +1000
From: “Colin R”
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo – behaviour
Message-ID: <1297635175.23641.1420472197@webmail.messagingengine.com
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Hi
Stuart Warren and I witnessed interesting behaviour from a group of
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos at the weekend.
We had stopped to check out a dead YTBC beside the road – the first YTBC
roadkill either of us had seen – and while we examined it, 4 other birds
circled back from a distance of about 200 meters calling constantly to
come to rest in the tree above us. They spent several minutes calling
and displaying – raising their wings and crests and generally appearing
quite distressed (and I am trying not to place any human emotion on
their behaviour) before taking off and flying back the way they had
come.
The dead bird was esentially undamaged, but stiff and slightly flat. At
a guess I would estimate it had been killed late the previous day – it
was about 8.00am when we found it. We could only assume the other birds
in its party had come back to either find it or mourn it in some way –
it was a spectacular, but sad, experience.
Regards
