If you're unfortunate enough to be the second chick born to a pair of endangered Carnaby's cockatoos, chances are you won't live longer than a few days.

Breeding from August to November, Carnaby's cockatoos - which are also known as white-tailed black cockatoos or "rainbirds" because their autumn fly-past heralds Perth's wet season – nest in tree hollows in open wandoo forest of the northern Darling Range and inner wheatbelt.

A Carnaby's cockatoo gets stuck into some bush tucker. Credit:Rakia Stokell

There the female lays two eggs – sometimes as much as 16 days apart – and the male returns every morning and evening, entering the nesting hollow tail-first to feed her while she incubates the clutch.

Usually both eggs hatch, but the second nestling, which is always smaller, normally dies within 48 hours, unless some misfortune befalls its older sibling.