The Red-tailed black cockatoo is sexually dimorphic, meaning the male and female look different, most notably is the difference in the colour of the beak and tail.

During courtship the male tries to impress the female by puffing up crest and cheek feathers, whilst hiding the beak; it then sings and struts, ending in a jump and a flash of red tail feathers toward the female - who will usually reply by biting him.

The Red-tailed black cockatoo is currently listed as Least Concern, it has a large range and it’s numbers have not been quantified. However there is evidence of a population decline! A European Studbook (ESB) has been set up for this species to help manage the captive breeding programme.