Saving our Black Cockatoos Southwest Australia's Journal

Hollows old and new
Providing options for breeding Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos
Two of our initiatives — to repair and refurbish artificial nesting hollows that were installed years ago, and also to set up new ones — have provided breeding opportunities that Endangered Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos need so desperately, combatting a shortage of natural hollows in key parts of the species’ range across parts of Western Australia.

Repairing and renovating old artificial hollows

While there is currently a big focus on installing new artificial hollows for black-cockatoos to aid their breeding, the maintenance and repair of existing artificial hollows is commonly overlooked. Nevertheless, maintenance of old hollows is essential to ensure that they remain viable breeding options for Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos. If they fall into disrepair, they may actually become dangerous for cockies trying to breed in them. The focus of this intervention was the Newdegate region in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt.

The refurbishment of black-cockatoo hollows involves a number of key factors:

One of the most important tasks is topping up the layer of woodchips which accumulate at the bottom of the hollow. Over time, they break down and become compacted, affecting nest drainage and access. In 2022, more than 1500 litres of wood chips were used to top up 30 artificial hollows around Newdegate.
The replacement of ‘sacrificial’ chewing posts attached to the inside entrance of each hollow is another crucial factor. The birds habitually chew on these bits of wood, contributing to the layer of wood chips in the hollow. If the chewing post gets eaten away, the cockies may then chew the base of the hollow, creating holes which eggs or chicks can fall through.
Ladder maintenance is also important. A small ladder installed in each nest allows the birds to climb in and out of their artificial hollow, and our work ensures they are secure, providing safe climbing conditions for both nesting and fledging black-cockatoos.
Installing new artificial hollows

In just its second year, ‘Adopt a Cocky Nest’ has already seen success, with ever increasing numbers of artificial nest hollows being used by Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos.

The scheme began in 2021 to install artificial hollows in known breeding locations. Our initial aim was to install 24 hollows on private properties across the Bullsbrook, Bindoon and Chittering regions — all well-known Carnaby’s breeding locations — for the cockies to nest in, but instead we raised sufficient funds to meet our initial target, plus an extra 15 hollows.

Back in 2021, just a few months after the artificial nests were installed, we confirmed that five of them were being used for Carnaby’s breeding, with either one or two eggs in each of the active hollows. Several Carnaby’s were also found breeding in natural hollows, either in the same trees as artificial hollows or in trees nearby.

This breeding season — just our second — saw additional birds nesting in the hollows.

This time we observed six of our hollows being used by breeding Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos: one contained a single egg; another two had two eggs (and there was a 7-week-old chick found in a natural hollow in the same tree as one of them); two had an egg and a chick; and one had a single 5-week-old chick.

Hopefully, over time, the Carnaby’s will continue to discover the artificial hollows and make use of them — sometimes hollows can remain unused for up to 10 years before Carnaby’s breed in them for the first time!

Providing new hollows and repairing old ones provide an essential component (among a range of conservation actions) in our overall strategy to drive the recovery of Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo populations (and those of other threatened black-cockatoos) in Western Australia.

BirdLife Australia

https://birdlife.org.au/news/hollows-old-and-new/

Join us for the Great Cocky Count
The Great Cocky Count is a citizen-science survey, and the biggest single survey for black-cockatoos in Western Australia. In the lead-up to the Count each year, we ask people to keep an eye out for roost sites, which helps us plan the upcoming Count. Then, on one evening each autumn, volunteers monitor known roost sites and count black-cockatoos as they arrive in the evening. Records submitted from across the South West provide a snapshot of black-cockatoo populations, helping us quantify changes in their numbers.

Where can I take part in this survey?
The Great Cocky Count takes place in south-western Western Australia — south-west of a line between Geraldton and Esperance — on a single night in autumn. Citizen scientists can help in the lead-up to the Count by locating night roosts (places where the black-cockatoos gather to sleep at night).

Simply register to take part in the Great Cocky Count and you’ll receive instructions and a site to survey. Please be aware registrations close on Sunday 12 March, 3 weeks prior to the Great Cocky Count.

Help us learn more about black-cockatoos by joining the Great Cocky Count
Black-cockatoos live across a large area, so it’s difficult to get an accurate record of how many there are in the wild. By working with citizen scientists in the Great Cocky Count, we are able to get a snapshot of where black-cockatoos are located, giving us a better idea of their numbers.

The Great Cocky Count started as a survey for Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos, focusing on their roost sites around Perth, but in recent years it has expanded to include Baudin’s Black-Cockatoos and Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos as well, at sites right across the South West.

Take part in a Great Cocky Count workshop before the Count
Great Cocky Count workshops are held at a number of locations around Perth and the South West in the lead-up to the Great Cocky Count. During these workshops, participants learn about black-cockatoo biology, ecology, behaviour and threats. Most importantly, they learn how the Great Cocky Count works and what to record during the survey.

Upcoming workshops will be listed here, as well as on the BirdLife WA Facebook page and through the BirdLife WA e-news.

Please be aware registrations close on Sunday 12 March, 3 weeks prior to the Great Cocky Count.

The Great Cocky Count is supported by the Alcoa Foundation, and forms part of the Alcoa Community Black-cockatoo Recovery Project.

Great Cocky Count Survey Application

https://birdlife.org.au/events/great-cocky-count/

Please have your say to ensure our Black Cockatoos are not under even more threat than they already are with habitat destruction!! Too many pest species of birds takeover the nesting hollows that our black cockatoos use and this is your chance to have your say so that something is actually done about it.

Pest parrots and cockatoos are known to cause extensive damage in both rural and urban areas in Western Australia. Because of this, several species are declared pests (simply referred to as pests below) and subject to active management control. Once a species of parrot or cockatoo has been officially declared as a pest all landholders are required to control them on the land they manage.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) works with other agencies and landholders in the coordination of pest management and actively works to prevent exotic incursions into the State.

DPIRD has engaged Strickland Park Economics to assist with the development of the WA pest parrot and cockatoo strategy to guide the future management of these birds.

An important part of this work is a survey of public attitudes to the control of birds as pests, in particular declared pest parrots and cockatoos.

Information on the public's understanding of these birds, and how they should be managed, is fundamental to the development of the strategy.

Survey

This survey takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Your survey responses will be coded and kept strictly confidential, and data from this survey will be reported only in the aggregate.
During the survey, if you wish to pause and resume at a later time, use the 'save and continue' button at the bottom of the question page.
If you wish to reconsider any previous answers, use the 'back button' at the bottom of the question page.

If you have questions about the survey, please contact John Roberts at john@stricklandpark.com.au.

Thank you very much for your time and support. Your participation will be an essential input to the strategy.

Thank you for your interest in this survey. Multiple submissions are not accepted. If you are having difficulties, please contact kim.haywood@dpird.wa.gov.au

https://yoursay.dpird.wa.gov.au/pest-parrot-management-strategy/survey_tools/wa-pest-parrot-and-cockatoo-management-strategy-survey?fbclid=IwAR1jmVJD_w-lu-KB4XnClW0igYZxc7ssEMwWUttK_EzYE2patRmqHQg6Upc