I was in Centennial Park on Sunday May 13 around 12.30 pm when the sky was filled with screeching and whistling which made everyone crane thier necks. The sound was very very loud. I managed to get a look up into the sky where I was amazed at seeing a large flock of Yellow tails slowly fying in. There would have been between 60-80 of them, maybe more. They split into two groups one headed toward Bondi the other toward Paddington. I was gobsmacked and rushed to find if they had landed en masse, which meant travelling from one end of the park to the other. I did find quite a large group of young with their various guardians growling for a feed probably numbering 12 - 20 in the tall gums (flooded gums?) near the Woolahra reservior area. I got a few snaps but they were too high up to get any really good shots. I have only ever seen three black parrots in the park before. They were toward the Randwick end in a group of Casuarinas or pines chewing on the cones.
Interesting, richman. I wonder if yellow-tailed black cockatoos are becoming adapted to flying over urban areas to get to food sites. Has anyone else noticed this species being more inclined to brave urban environments which, I would have thought, were unfit for human habitation let alone yellow-tailed black cockatoo habitation?
It is a pretty big park 220ha I believe which is nearly a sq mile. There are lots of ponds and some wild areas. All that said I was absolutely amazed to see so many BLACK cockatoos. We have lots of white cockatoos which have adapted to city life very well and go to peoples windows for a snack and to play. Over the last few years we have seen an influx of Corellas as well. Both little corellas and longbills not to mention the thousands of white Ibis that have found our garbage to their liking. I have seen a few blacks flying past every year but nothing like this. The city has undergone about a decade of "greening" with lots more parks and trees as well as folks planting more natives in their yards etc. but I still never expected to see this many of any species.
An increase in native vegetation could be affecting their numbers as I think your suggesting, richman. The yellow-tailed black cockatoos which visit Ms Woko & me in SA love the banksias we've planted. I'm wondering if people are planting species indigenous to Sydney such as Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia & Silver Banksia Banksia marginata.
There were certainly plenty in the park last year, though I didn't see those numbers. I remember seeing about 15 hanging around the northern rugby field one weekend in September, and then again about the same number next weekend near what later became the moonlight cinema (which is nearby to the field). They would have been really photogenic in those locations but I was unfortunately without a good camera at the time.
Not sure to what extent I got lucky seeing them there, but I had read elsewhere they are regularly seen in Centennial Park, which is why I went.
As I understand it the flocks break up and they head elsewhere during breeding season, which might explain in part why you might not have seen them much before, as they're around in the winter mostly.
They are certainly around again. I went again on Sunday (May 19) and took heaps of photos they were in many areas of the parks where there are pines , casuarinas or banksias. There are a lot of hungy youg'uns growling for a feed. I saw a display of about 50-60 when they all took off for a spell. Great to see. I have lived in the city for over 20 years and rarely caught a glimpse of one flying past (usually a pair).
What a glorious sight!
Anecdotely there seems to be a large number of them on the move around Sydney over the last year or so. I had reports of 50 in Centennial Park about 9 months ago. With the increase in rain over the past year or so conditions must be good for them. Such a brilliant sight to see.
Lets hope there are plenty of nesting spots for them, Holly, lest their numbers dwindle over time.
Just saw four yellow-tailed blacks in a tree in my back yard in West Ryde
I've seen and heard them flying over my place at the Cross too. I've seen them at Newtown, Mascot, Turella, Hornsby, Berowra (and glossys), Allambie heights, Penrith, and Homebush I hope they are making a comeback and not just forced into the city for food by land clearing.