A note on seed dispersal by Little Corellas Cacatua sanguinea

Abstract

A flock of Little Corellas Cacatua sanguinea deposited six large American Sweetgum (Liquidambar) Liquidambar styraciflua fruit and three Mediterranean Cypress Cupressus sempervirens cones under the canopy of a Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora in a suburban backyard in Albury, New South Wales. Subsequent searches encountered American Sweetgum fruit under four further Yellow Boxes with evidence of pruning by Little Corellas. This is the first record of actual seed dispersal by the species, as well as of the use of American Sweetgum as food. These observations underline the importance of psittacids as incidental dispersers of plant seed.