Sighting the Black Cockatoo

The graceful black cockatoo is known as Ngaoara in Noongar language.  The black cockatoo in Aboriginal culture is believed to be the guides and guardians of the spirits of loved ones on their journey to rest amongst the Ancestors.

The endangered Carnaby’s (Ngolyenok) and Baudin’s (Ngolak) black cockatoo are very similar in appearance, both sighted in Karrakatta Cemetery feeding off the seed pods of tipuana, plane and liquidambar trees for much of the year.

Clearing of natural vegetation since the 1950s has led to a decline in numbers in Western Australia.  Karrakatta Cemetery provides shelter, feeding and nesting habitats for this social cockatoo, along with a large number of other birds.

The Cemetery Planning team consider the black cockatoo and other bird species when selecting native plants for new gardens.  Varieties of banksia, hakea and acacia are planted throughout the grounds for the birds to feed on.

Posted by on Fri, 02 Jun 2023 in Community