THE INNOVATIVE ARTIFICIAL NESTS SAVING GLOSSY BLACK COCKATOOS ON KANGAROO ISLAND

Article originally published here by Koala.

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Last year, during the devastating bushfires of 2019-20, Koala and WWF-Australia were able to provide emergency funding to help the recovery of another animal in need – the glossy black cockatoo.

Kangaroo Island glossy black cockatoos are a subspecies to those found in eastern Australia and are found exclusively on Kangaroo Island. These gorgeous glossies are classified as an endangered species and have had it tough since before the 2019-20 fires - but together with Koala and the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board we’ve been helping them bounce back.

The fires of 2019-20 ravaged over 60% of the habitat and food for the 450 or so glossies left.

In May 2021, Koala and WWF-Australia visited the on-the-ground Glossy Black Cockatoo Recovery team, part of the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board, who work tirelessly to ensure the survival of the glossies for generations to come.

The project

To help the glossies in their recovery, the innovative project has focused on protecting and restoring feed and shelter trees as well as nesting sites.

It was an especially exciting time to visit as the glossy chicks were beginning to hatch! Each new hatchling is a huge step forward in the conservation of the species and flock counts were already higher than expected.

To date, the program has resulted in:

• 38 new hatchlings born in 2020, 60% of those having hatched within the half of the island most affected by the fires. A further 33 nestlings have hatched so far in 2021, many in nest boxes installed through the project in 2020.
• The team has installed more than 19 ‘cockatubes’, along with other nest boxes (28 in total), which are artificial hollows, and possum-proofed 18 surviving nests to help the glossies out.
• The team has planted over 7,100 drooping she-oak trees, giving the glossies back their exclusive food source.
• 454 glossy black cockatoos recorded at minimum.

Securing a future

The Glossy Black Cockatoo Recovery team has been operating for approximately 25 years on a shoestring budget. The groundwork laid down by the program was instrumental in securing a future for the glossies, especially after the impacts of the fires of 2019-20.

The initial results have been extremely positive and show the incredible resilience of the species and demonstrate the importance of long-term conservation efforts such as this.

Ingrained as part of Kangaroo Island’s identity, these beautiful birds hold a special place in local hearts and minds and are seen as a beacon of hope in the healing of the land.

Koala and WWF-Australia have been protecting biodiversity together since 2017. To date, Koala has donated over $1.9 million to WWF-Australia for the conservation and preservation of wildlife.