Rare black cockatoo chick rescued in inner west

A sick, yellow-tailed black cockatoo fledgling found orrphaned at Marrickville Park is now thriving.

A SICK, yellow-tailed black cockatoo fledgling found ­orphaned at Marrickville Park two weeks ago is now thriving.

Opal, as the little chick has been named, was found on the ground, weak and unable to feed itself. The person who found it passed it on to wildlife rescue organisation WIRES.

The black cockatoo chick found at Marrickville Park.

Carer Angela Robertson-Buchanan said the discovery was the first in the history of WIRES’ inner west branch.

Ms Robertson-Buchanan, a specialist macro-photographer of birds, is feeding the cockatoo every three hours with a syringe.

“The poor little thing could hardly lift its head or even sit on a perch,” she said. “After treating her with fluids and feeding her over the weekend, I took Opal to the Summer Hill Vet clinic for a full examination and she was put on a course of antibiotics as well.”

The bird is believed to be about three months old.

Angela Robertson-Buchanan with the black cockatoo found at Marrickville Park.

Adult yellow-tailed black cockatoos.

Taronga Zoo senior birdkeeper Michael Shiels said black cockatoos were much rarer than their bois­terous, sulphur-crested white cockatoo cousins so familiar to Sydneysiders.

“They are an occasional visitor to the area but Marrickville doesn’t have the most viable habitat,” Mr Shiels said. “They like breeding in large tree hollows.”

Ms Robertson-Buchanan said Opal had just begun flapping her wings and looking alert.

Since the rescue, an adult pair of yellow-tailed black cockatoos have been seen at Marrickville Park. Ms Robertson-Buchanan said she would take Opal to them to see if the chick was able to call for its family.

The organisation’s inner west branch will host a trivia fundraising event at Concord Bowling Club on July 24. Tickets: [e-mail]