Appearance
Like the related red-tailed black cockatoo, this species is sexually dimorphic. The male glossy black cockatoo is predominantly black with a chocolate-brown head and striking caudal red patches. The female is a duller dark brown, with flecks of yellow in the tail and collar. The female's tail is barred whereas the male's tail is patched. An adult will grow to be about 46–50 cm in length. The birds are found in open forest and woodlands, and usually feed on seeds of the she-oak.
Naming
The three subspecies were proposed by Schodde ''et al.'' in 1993, although parrot expert Joseph Forshaw has reservations due to their extremely minimal differences.⤷ ''C. l. lathami'': The eastern subspecies found between southeastern Queensland and Mallacoota in Victoria, with isolated pockets in Eungella in central Queensland and the Riverina and Pilliga forest. It is associated with casuarina woodland.
⤷ ''C. l. erebus'': Occurs in central Queensland from Eungulla near Mackay south to Gympie
⤷ ''C. l. halmaturinus'': The Kangaroo Island subspecies has been listed by the Australian Government as endangered.
Status
Like most species of parrots, the glossy black cockatoo is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora with its placement on the Appendix II list of vulnerable species, which makes the import, export, and trade of listed wild-caught animals illegal.Glossy black cockatoos generally are not listed as threatened on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, however the Kangaroo Island subspecies '''' was added to the list as endangered.
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