Identification of individual Carnaby's Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus latirostris from distinctive plumage markings

Abstract

This study determined methods for identifying individual Carnaby's Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris using natural variations in markings, to assist future research and management. Photographs of wild and captive cockatoos and museum specimens were studied and a variety of useful identification characteristics were found. These included marks on subterminal tail panels, yellowish colouration, upper mandible markings, atypical white feathers, white panels on undertail coverts and grey areas in the ear covert patches of females. A combination of distinctive marks could sometimes be used to identify individuals. Distinctive markings may be short term and useful until the next moult, or longer term and maintained over years. Females provided more identifying marks than males, with 28.6% of preserved adult female tails having black spots and/or bars in their white tail panels compared to 5.0% of adult males, and 53.1% of immature females compared to 12.5% of immature males. The tails of immature C. latirost...