Little corella

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Little corella
Little corella (Cacatua sanguinea gymnopis) Blanchetown.jpg
Blanchetown, South Australia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Cacatuidae
Genus: Cacatua
Subgenus: Licmetis
Species:
C. sanguinea
Binomial name
Cacatua sanguinea
Gould, 1843
Subspecies

C. s. sanguinea
C. s. normantoni
C. s. transfreta
C. s. gymnopis

Contents

The little corella (Cacatua sanguinea), also known as the short-billed corella, bare-eyed cockatoo, blood-stained cockatoo, and little cockatoo is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea. [2] It was known as Birdirra among the Yindjibarndi people of the central and western Pilbara. [3] They would keep them as pets, or traditionally cook and eat them. The downy feathers are used in traditional ceremonies and dances where they adorn head and armbands. [4]

Taxonomy

The first recorded description of the species was by English ornithologist John Gould in 1843. [1] There are four subspecies as follows: [2]


Description

The little corella is a small white cockatoo growing to 35–41 cm (14–16 in) in length and weighs 370–630 g (13–22 oz), with a mean weight of 525 g (1.157 lb). [5] [6] It is similar in appearance to both the long-billed corella and the western corella, but the little corella is smaller, and unlike either of those species, it has upper and lower mandibles of similar length. It is easily distinguished from the long-billed corella by the lack of an orange throat bar. [7] C. s. normantoni and C. s. transfreta are a little smaller than the nominate form. C. s. normantoni is lightly brownish on the underside of flight and tail feathers. C. s. gymnopis has darker blue eye-rings, more strongly marked pink lores and a yellow wash to the lower-ear coverts. [2] Females are slightly smaller than males in weight, wing length, culmen size, tarsus length, tail length and eye ring diameter. [8]

Distribution and habitat

The nominate form, C. s. sanguinea is found in Northern Australia. C. s. normantoni is found on the Western Cape York Peninsula. C. s. transfreta is found in New Guinea. C. s. gymnopis is found in Central, Eastern, and South-eastern Australia. [2] Habitat ranges from the arid deserts of central Australia to the eastern coastal plains, but they are not found in thick forests. Little corellas can also be found in urban areas, including Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane, where they feed on lawns and playing fields. They are numerous in farmlands throughout New South Wales and Queensland, and have become so common in some areas that they are considered to be crop pests, [9] and can be destructive to the trees in which they perch, by chewing the bark off smaller twigs.

Behaviour

Little corellas congregate in flocks of up to several thousand, which often include other birds such as galahs, sulphur-crested cockatoos and red-tailed black cockatoos. They generally roost in trees overnight, and fly off to feed in the early morning before returning in the late evening. Flocks will often fly many kilometres between their feeding and roosting areas, and in desert areas must also fly to watering holes twice a day, while corellas which live in coastal areas do not have to fly long distances to find water.[ citation needed ]

Call

The call consists of high pitched notes and screeches somewhat similar to the sulfur-crested cockatoo. Large flocks will call simultaneously and can create a deafening screeching sound audible from several kilometers away.[ citation needed ]

Breeding

Little corella on nest. Near Tibooburra, NSW Little corella on nest. Near Tibooburra, NSW.jpg
Little corella on nest. Near Tibooburra, NSW

Breeding occurs from May to October, and usually takes place earlier in the north of its range. [7] The nest is usually in a tree hollow, cliff cavity or termite mound. [7]

Feeding

Little corellas usually feed on the ground, however occasionally feed in trees and shrubs. They eat a variety of both wild and cultivated seeds and regularly feed on lawn grasses in urban areas. They frequently feed on cereal crops such as wheat, barley and maize and can become a considerable agricultural pest in some areas.[ citation needed ]

Playing

When little corellas play, they become very noisy. They have conversations with each other, fly around and also show off. Little corellas show off by hanging themselves upside-down with their feet, beaks or both.[ citation needed ]

Relationship to humans

In the state of South Australia, little corellas are considered "unprotected native fauna" and may be shot (without a permit), trapped or gassed (with a permit) by landowners. Permits are also available to take a limited number of little corellas from the wild each year for avicultural purposes. [10]

Threats

In July 2019, in a scene that was said to resemble a "horror movie", [11] [12] about 60 corellas in Adelaide, South Australia, [13] died in a suspected case of poisoning, after "falling from the sky", bleeding from their mouths, and wailing. At least 57 of the birds were long-billed corellas, with a few of them being were short-billed corellas. It was hoped that whoever poisoned them would get traced after doing a report on toxicology, which could nevertheless take several weeks to complete, because in Australia, people were required to register if they purchase poisons, according to Sarah King, founder of Casper's Bird Rescue, who witnessed the deaths, [14] and also said that the type of poison was a slow one that takes several weeks to work. Additionally, the local Alexandrina council had beforehand called for short-billed corellas to be culled for damaging crops and chewing on streetlights, damaging built infrastructure such as buildings and sporting equipment, and displacing other native species of birds and bees, possums, and other organisms. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cockatoo</span> Any bird in the family Cacatuidae

A cockatoo is any of the 21 species of parrots belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea and the Strigopoidea, they make up the order Psittaciformes. The family has a mainly Australasian distribution, ranging from the Philippines and the eastern Indonesian islands of Wallacea to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanimbar corella</span> Species of bird

The Tanimbar corella, also known as Goffin's cockatoo or Tanimbar cockatoo, is a species of cockatoo endemic to forests of Yamdena, Larat and Selaru, all islands in the Tanimbar Islands archipelago in Indonesia. It has been introduced to the Kai Islands, Indonesia, Puerto Rico and Singapore. This species was only formally described in 2004, after it was discovered that the previous formal descriptions pertained to individuals of a different cockatoo species, the Ducorps' or Solomons cockatoo. Tanimbar corellas are the smallest of the white cockatoos. It is classified as Near Threatened due to deforestation and bird trade. It breeds well in captivity and there is a large avicultural population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink cockatoo</span> Type of cockatoo

The pink cockatoo, also known as Major Mitchell's cockatoo or Leadbeater's cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo that inhabits arid and semi-arid inland areas across Australia, with the exception of the north east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galah</span> Type of cockatoo

The galah, less commonly known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is an Australian species of cockatoo and the only member of the genus Eolophus. The galah is adapted to a wide variety of modified and unmodified habitats and is one of Australia's most abundant and widespread bird species. The species is endemic to mainland Australia. It was introduced to Tasmania, where it is now widespread, in the mid-19th century and much more recently to New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White cockatoo</span> Species of bird

The white cockatoo, also known as the umbrella cockatoo, is a medium-sized all-white cockatoo endemic to tropical rainforest on islands of Indonesia. When surprised, it extends a large and striking head crest, which has a semicircular shape. The wings and tail have a pale yellow or lemon color which is exposed when they fly. It is similar to other species of white cockatoo such as yellow-crested cockatoo, sulphur-crested cockatoo, and salmon-crested cockatoo, all of which have yellow, orange or pink crest feathers instead of white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-vented cockatoo</span> Species of bird

The red-vented cockatoo, also known as the Philippine cockatoo and locally katala, abukay, agay or kalangay, is a species of cockatoo. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is roughly the size and shape of the Tanimbar corella, but is easily distinguished by the red feathers around the vent. It is threatened by habitat loss and the cage-bird trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-billed corella</span> Species of bird

The long-billed corella, also known as long-billed cockatoo or slender-billed corella, is a cockatoo native to Australia, which is similar in appearance to the little corella. This species is mostly white, with a reddish-pink face and forehead, and has a long, pale beak, which is used to dig for roots and seeds. It has reddish-pink feathers on the breast and belly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulphur-crested cockatoo</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomons cockatoo</span> Species of bird

The Solomons cockatoo, also known as the Ducorps's cockatoo, Solomons corella or broad-crested corella, is a species of cockatoo endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago. This small white cockatoo is larger than the Tanimbar corella yet smaller than the umbrella cockatoo. The species is common across most of the Solomons, absent only from Makira in the south. It inhabits lowland rainforests, secondary forests, cleared areas and gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-crested cockatoo</span> Species of bird

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The red-tailed black cockatoo 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-eyed cockatoo</span> Type of cockatoo

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnaby's black cockatoo</span> Species of birds

Carnaby's black cockatoo, also known as the short-billed black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo endemic to southwest Australia. It was described in 1948 by naturalist Ivan Carnaby. Measuring 53–58 cm (21–23 in) in length, it has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly greyish black, and it has prominent white cheek patches and a white tail band. The body feathers are edged with white giving a scalloped appearance. Adult males have a dark grey beak and pink eye-rings. Adult females have a bone-coloured beak, grey eye-rings and ear patches that are paler than those of the males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western corella</span> Species of bird

The western corella also known as the western long-billed corella, is a species of white cockatoo endemic to south-western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corella (bird)</span> Subgenus of birds

Licmetis is a subgenus of the white cockatoos. They are collectively known as corellas in Australia. Three of the six species are primarily – or only – found in Australia, while the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Solomons each have an endemic species. They are relatively small cockatoos and – unlike the members of the subgenus Cacatua – all have pale bills. While most show yellow-tinged underwings and some red to the face, none has conspicuously coloured crests.

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Butler's corella is a medium-sized white cockatoo endemic to Western Australia. It is one of two subspecies of the western corella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muir's corella</span> Subspecies of bird

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<i>Cacatua</i> (subgenus) Subgenus of birds

Cacatua is a subgenus of the white cockatoos. They are found in wooded habitats from Wallacea east to the Bismarck Archipelago and south to Australia. With the exception of the yellow-crested cockatoo, all are relatively large cockatoos with a total length of 45–55 cm (18–22 in). Their plumage is mainly white, and the underwing and -tail have a yellowish tinge. Their crest is expressive and brightly coloured in most species. Unlike the members of the subgenus Licmetis, the members of the subgenus Cacatua have a black bill.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2018). "Cacatua sanguinea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T22684813A131915837. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22684813A131915837.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mike Parr; Tony Juniper (2010). Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World. A&C Black. ISBN   978-1-4081-3575-4.
  3. "Mystery Bird: Little Corella, Cacatua sanguinea". The Guardian. 25 September 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  4. Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation (2005). Garruragan: Yindjibarndi Fauna. Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation. p. 9. ISBN   1-875946-54-3.
  5. John B. Dunning Jr., ed. (1992), CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses, CRC Press, ISBN   978-0-8493-4258-5
  6. Little-Corella (2011)
  7. 1 2 3 Pizzey, Graham; Knight, Frank (1997). Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Sydney, Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 265. ISBN   0-207-18013-X.
  8. Sauders, D. A. "Measurements of the Little Corella from Kununurra, WA" (PDF). The Emu. CSIRO.
  9. "Species profile—Cacatua sanguinea (little corella)". Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  10. "Take from the Wild Permits (unprotected)". Department for Environment and Water. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  11. Bote, Joshua (2019-07-12). "Dozens of birds fall from the sky like 'a horror movie.' They were poisoned, experts say". USA Today . Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  12. 1 2 Zhou, Naaman (2019-07-12). "'Like a horror movie': Dozens of corellas dead after falling from sky in suspected poisoning". The Guardian . Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  13. Georgiou, Aristos (2019-07-12). "DOZENS OF BIRDS DROP OUT OF THE SKY IN SUSPECTED POISONING: 'THE SCENE LOOKED LIKE A HORROR MOVIE'". Newsweek . Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  14. "Australia corella deaths: Dozens of birds found in suspected poisoning". The BBC . 2019-07-12. Retrieved 2019-07-16.