Casuarina cunninghamiana subsp. cunninghamiana (River She-Oak, River Oak)

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River She-oak as a food source for Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo(YTBC).

The ACT's Casuarina cunninghamiana appear to be important in the diets of YTBC; possibly more so than the exotic pines with which they are commonly associated. Pines are plentiful (more than 12, 500 in the urban Ginninderra Ck catchment alone) and are good sources of energy. But, as with fast foods generally, they are low in protein; important during the peak of YTBC annual visits when there are many growing juvenilles in the flocks. Native seeds have higher protein contents, and visiting YTBCs eat some hakea, acacia, casuarina and other native seeds. More importantly, acacias and casuarinas are commonly infested by wood-boring moth larvae. In urban ACT, while Cossid Moth larvae appear to be available in acacias episodically, casuarinas seem to harbour plentiful larvae of Cryptophasa irrorata throughout the year. Casuarinas may be the most reliable source of protein for YTBC in the ACT.

For more information see the following study by Daryl King

https://app.box.com/s/94yur0mwkvro279nil8tw73un4s3mm7l.

Casuarina cunninghamiana subsp. cunninghamiana is listed in the following regions:

Canberra & Southern Tablelands | Albury, Wodonga | South Coast