Alternative name: Slender-billed Corella
- Cacatua tenuirostris
Identification
37–40 cm (15½-15¾ in)
- overall plumage white
- crest small
- forehead and lores orange-red
- undersides of wings and tail with faint yellow wash
- upper breast with scarlet band running across
- eyering pale greyish-blue
Similar Species
The shape of the bill is probably the best distinguishing feature between this and the other white Corellas of Australia. Can be confused with Little Corella and Western Corella where introduced in South West Australia.
Compared with Little Corella, Long-billed has:
- extensive red-orange on chest (missing from Little)
- bill longer (beware wear)
- crest shorter
- more extensive and more saturated red on lores
- very slightly smaller (than Little)
Compared with Western Corella, Long-billed has:
- extensive red-orange on chest (missing from Western)
- much smaller size (around 8 cm)
- generally more extensive and more saturated red on lores (but may be similar)
- bill similarly long
Distribution
Endemic to Australia with most common in Victoria and nearest areas of neighboring states. Feral populations elsewhere in Australia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species [1].
Some authors recognize both tenuirostris and mcallani as subspecies
Habitat
Grassy woodlands and grasslands
Behaviour
Diet
They dig up the corms, bulbs and roots of plants (some of which are now rare). Insects are also eaten.
Breeding
Nests are made about 25 feet up in the hollows of large old eucalypts, by both adults, who also share incubation of the eggs and care for the young. There may be several nests in one tree.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved February 2019)
- Birds in Backyards
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Long-billed Corella. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Long-billed_Corella
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
