Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

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BajanAlan
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Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Gouging on Casuarina berries

WendyK
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Good shot.  They have such huge nostrils.  I suppose it's to help draw enough air to make all that noise. laugh

Wendy
Mandurah, WA
Peel-Yalgorup System Ramsar Site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlinoz/

narly
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great pic

Neil

BajanAlan
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Thanks Guys, You should see the amount of wasted vegitation under the tree!

Woko
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Keep your eye on that "wasted" vegetation, BajanAlan. It could end up as mulch, nutrients, nesting material, food for invertebrates etc.

BajanAlan
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In Barbados we call these Mile tres cause they are so tall.

In Darwin they look stunted. The Black cocotoos have moved on

and the Little Corellas have taken over.

Woko
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Are they the same species in Barbados, BajanAlan?

BajanAlan
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Woko, no Black cocotoos in Barbados. And the trees are a lot taller.

Woko
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Sorry, BajanAlan. I was referring to the Casuarinas not the cockatoos.

BajanAlan
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Now you got me. It never occured to me that there were different types of Casuarina trees!

Woko
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Hi BajanAlan. I found this on PlantNET in relation to the CASUARINACEAE family: Distribution and occurrence: World: 4 genera, 96 species, Australia, Pacific islands & South-East Asia. Australia: 3 genera, 65 species, all States.

Perhaps that tree in the Bahamas wasn't a Casuarina but something that looked like it. Or maybe it was introduced.

Holly
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Such an expressive face! There intelligence really shows.

BajanAlan
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The Casuarina or Mile tree is native to Australia, where it is know as the Australian Pine. Ed, any idea when this tree was introduced to Barbados and for what reason?
Casuarina equistefolia.
Casuarina; Mile Tree.

Casuarinas were introduced to Barbados, about 1870, from Australia where they are native trees. One of the first casuarinas introduced to Barbados was planted, by Prince Alfred (second son of Queen Victoria) in the gardens of Farley Hill House (now Farley Hill Park).

Why were casuarinas introduced to Barbados? 
Probably as a result of the beauty of the trees ~ it was later ascertained that the trees' shallow, extensive, root system is of great service in limiting soil erosion in ares subject to this phenomenon (the Scotland District for example ~ notice the numbers of casuarinas planted at Barclays Park and along the East Coast Road). 0 

Woko
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Too bad they don't have indigenous trees to combat soil erosion. Or do they? And if they do I wonder why they would rely on Australian trees to do the job?

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