KOI Knives - "Georgia" The Glossy Black Cockatoo EDC Pocket Knife

The Glossy Black Cockatoo is a tool made for those who love camping, outdoor exploration and for those who collect pocket knives.

Please note: Each knife is unique - some have a brighter red resin, some are darker and more subtle, just like the bird itself. 

Scientific name: Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus (Kangaroo Island species)
Koi name: Georgia

Knife Specs

Blade Length: 95.8mm (3.77")
Overall Length: 207.2mm (8.14")
Folded Length: 110mm (4.33")
Blade Thickness: 2.5mm (0.09")
Weight: 115g (4.05oz)

Blade Steel: 14C28N Sandvik Swedish Steel
Blade Type: Drop Point
Scale Material: Black G10, Ebony wood, and dark red resin
Blade Hardness: 58HRC

Clip Material: CK1055 Spring Steel (Heat treated to 44 HRC)
Hardware: Black Passivated screws & Clip
Blade Grind: Triple Bevel & finger grip slots
Blade Grind: 50/50
Pivot assembly: Caged Ceramic ball bearing washer
Opener: Top Flipper Tab
Lock Type: Liner Lock

About the bird
Diet: Almost exclusively Sheoak/Allocasuarina seeds
Average Lifespan: Up to 30 years
Size: 40-50cm
Scientific name: Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus (Kangaroo Island species)
Status: South-eastern glossy black cockatoo:  Vulnerable 
             Kangaroo Island glossy black cockatoo: Endangered

The South Australian Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus; GBC) is now only found on Kangaroo Island (an island just off South Australia, reachable by plane or ferry), after becoming extinct from the mainland in the 1970s.

This subspecies of GBC is very atypical when it comes to cockatoos, unlike its' cousin in the Galah, GBCs are very quiet birds, and can often be noticed when crunching down on Sheoak cones.

Other subspecies of the GBC can be found in the South East of Queensland to Eastern Victoria and are a threatened species. The SA subspecies is smaller but has a bigger bill than those along the Great Dividing Range and east coast of Australia.

Glossies play a vital ecological role in their environment. Their presence can be a sign of healthy, biodiverse forest as they need old eucalypts with hollows to nest in and casuarina seeds to feed on, all within flying distance (they have been known to fly over a kilometre away from their nests to access food). As seed-eaters, glossies act as forest gardeners, occasionally pruning branches while eating seeds from cones. 

Fun Fact: Glossy Black Cockatoos only hold Sheoak cones with their left foot.

Glossy Black Cockatoos are monogamous, meaning each adult bird pairs with one partner for life. They typically lay one egg every one to two years and, occasionally, a second one if the first doesn’t survive. The female incubates the egg for around 30 days while the male provides food and protection, ensuring the well-being of the female and the egg until it hatches.

Adult males have plain brown heads and bright red panels in their tail feathers. where females have barred red tail panels and yellow markings on their head, especially around the neck.

Unlike Galahs who can be in flocks of a thousand, GBCs tend to prefer to keep to smaller crowds, usually pairs, trios or very small groups.

How did it go extinct on mainland South Australia?

The clearance of their feeding habitat (Drooping Sheoak), the primary food source of GBCs, was the likely cause of their extinction on mainland South Australia. They also face the threat of their eggs and nestlings being targeted by the many brushtail possums in Australia.

Galahs, little corellas and feral honey bees all compete with the GBCs for tree hollows, and little corellas and galahs have been recorded smashing GBC eggs and have been implicated in the killing of small nestlings. 

While you can only find the South Australian Glossy Black Cockatoo on Kangaroo Island, they are still under threat from possums and galahs (both have been known to eat or destroy eggs), bees who use the same tree cavities to build their hives, bushfires, and occasionally Wedge Tailed Eagles.