The palm cockatoo is one of Australia’s most spectacular parrots, with glossy black feathers, bright red cheek patches and a huge beak that makes it look like it means business. Found in the tropical forests and woodlands of Cape York Peninsula, these intelligent birds have a surprisingly unusual way of attracting a mate — males make and use their own drumming sticks, whacking them against hollow branches to create a loud, resonant beat. They’re also famously slow breeders, raising just one chick every few years, which makes every successful breeding attempt especially important. Habitat loss, altered fire patterns and changes to nesting trees threaten their future, and conservation organisations like Australian Wildlife Conservancy work to protect the tropical landscapes they depend on.