Red Tailed Black Cockatoo feeding on Gum Nuts
This one is feeding on Eucalyptus seeds. It has to strip away the hard outer shell to get to the seeds inside.
Notice how dextrous it’s claws are. The other foot is keeping a firm grip on the branch supporting it.
Cockatoos and parrots have feet with two toes facing forward and two toes facing backwards, while most other bird species have three toes in the front and one in the back.
They also like the seeds of Casuarinas and Banksias, using their very strong bill to tear them open.
Us humans could never tear open the seed pods with our teeth.
They sometimes also eat insect larvae, which are revealed by tearing open the branches of trees. In some regions, They also forage on the ground, eating the seeds of various weeds.
