Acacia dealbata

Silver Wattle at Majura, ACT

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Identification history

Acacia dealbata	15 Aug 2018	michaelb
Acacia dealbata	5 Aug 2018	michaelb
Unidentified	2 Aug 2018	WalterEgo

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User's notes

Curious as to what has caused this damage (I've assumed a bird)? In this case to a wattle, but common across she-oaks in the area too...

9 comments

natureguy wrote:

3 Aug 2018

It looks like the Yellow-tailed black-cockatoos work. They often gouge out holes in trees to excavate wood grubs, boras, etc.

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

4 Aug 2018

Our sisters sites on the coast have an option under Additional Information within the requested sighting information to record for the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo via photographs of chewed sapling stems. Haven't felt the need to do this for our region but it is a possible option.

natureguy wrote:

4 Aug 2018

Would you like me to confirm it?

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

4 Aug 2018

see what Chris and Michael think thanks Luke

Mike wrote:

4 Aug 2018

Are you sure it is yellow tailed black cockatoos? I have photos of eucalypts cut down by grub seekers.

michaelb wrote:

4 Aug 2018

I think yellow tailed black cockatoo would be a bodgy ID. I would suggest we just accept it as Acacia dealbata.

ArcherCallaway wrote:

5 Aug 2018

Agree you'd have to accept as the plant. You'd also be missing the date the damage occurred and the birds were present if it was their doing

rainer wrote:

16 Aug 2018

The damage is pretty conclusively YTBCs, because Bardi-grub seekers would use a tomahawk, which would leave a different-looking scar. Good point though Ryl, it could be yesterday’s damage, last week’s or last month’s!

WalterEgo wrote:

16 Aug 2018

Thanks for the background. As it happened I saw a bunch stripping bark from she-oaks a few days later: