Calyptorhynchus

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Calyptorhynchus is a small group of black cockatoos in the cockatoo family. It was named by Desmarest in 1826, and its type species is Psittacus banksii (now Calyptorhynchus banksii), the yellow-tailed black cockatoo. The genus has two species in total. These birds are mostly black, with small patches of red, grey, or yellow on the tail that help tell the species apart.

DNA studies have looked for Calyptorhynchus’ closest relatives. Early results suggested gang-gang cockatoos and cockatiels as near relatives, but later studies using more genes support the traditional view: the gang-gang cockatoo is most closely related to the galah within the white cockatoo group, while the cockatiel belongs to a separate subfamily of cockatoos.

Taxonomy note: The Yellow-tailed black cockatoo, Baudin’s black cockatoo, and Carnaby’s black cockatoo were once included in Calyptorhynchus as a subgenus called Zanda. Based on genetic differences, Zanda is now treated as its own genus, and those three species were moved out of Calyptorhynchus.