BLOODSTAINED COCKATOO. 
Dr. Macgillivray’s notes published by North in the Austr . Mus. Spec, 
Cat ., No. 1, Yol. III., p. 85, 1911, read : Cacatua sanguinea is distinctly 
gregarious (at Cloncurry), the flocks flying on to the downs just after sunrise, 
where they feed on the ground for two or more hours, then fly in to the creek, 
and settle on one or more trees, according to the number of birds, and amuse 
themselves during the rest of the day in stripping every leaf, twig and nearly 
all the bark off the trees ; in this way they completely destroy many trees, 
as far as all the upper limbs are concerned. When one tree is fairly bare, they 
devote their attention to another, and treat it similarly. Towards evening 
they again fly on to the plains to feed for an hour or two before returning to 
roost. A small bulbous plant growing in patches on the plains is a favourite 
article of diet, and it is also relished by the blacks. It breeds during the wet 
season. ... At Broken Hill it is a very common bird at all seasons. They 
do not migrate from the district, but congregate in whatever part has the most 
abundant food supply, and this of course depends upon our autumn and spring 
rains, which are often very patchy and varable in amount, or often absent 
altogether ; the class of herbage which comes up depends upon the time when 
the rain has been most abundant. When the season is ve^ dry few of these 
birds breed at all. . . . Several hundreds of young birds are taken eveiy year 
by the bird-catchers, who sell them locally or send them to Adelaide, or even 
Melbourne. They are favourite pets here, and rightly so, too, as they are more 
docile and tractable than any of the other Cockatoos, and talk quite as well. 
They have a decided crest, more marked than that of Licmetis nasica, but have 
not nearly so much red colouring about the head. In L. nasica this tinting of 
the bases of the feathers extends often to the upper tail-coverts, whereas in 
the bird under notice it is much paler, more of an orange, and confined to the 
lores and slightly to the feathers across the base of the culmen. The naked 
space round the eyes is never circular, but is extended downward where it 
widens out. This skin is in all young birds, and most old ones, of a leaden 
or slaty colour. I have, however, seen a few old birds in which it was quite 
white. Whether this was an age change, or due to an excessive secretion of 
powder down, I am not certain.” In the same place, Mr. G. A. Heartland’s 
observations occur : “ The home of Cacatua sanguinea is in the northern half 
of the continent, and its range extends across from Broken Hill, in South- 
western New South Wales, on the east to near Geraldton on the west. 
These birds assemble in immense flocks, and when preparing to roost three 
or four trees are often covered with them. When feeding or resting on the 
ground several acres are sometimes rendered white by the flock. Owing to 
their fondness for swampy country, where they feed on bulbs, etc., it is almost 
impossible to find an adult bird with clean plumage. Although I shot a great 
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