BIG BLACK COCKATOO HOW TO
BIG BLACK COCKATOO WINDOWS

All volunteers that register to participate will need to complete an activity declaration form (covering OH&S) and will be provided with an information pack containing a map of their search area, a record sheet, and survey instructions in the last few weeks leading up to the count. Participants will need a set of binoculars, and are encouraged to travel in a 4WD as many of the tracks to be searched are located in sandy soil. Staff are also happy to answer any other questions participants have in regard to the count and what is required on the day.

BIG BLACK COCKATOO HOW TO

How to identify stringybark forest apart from other eucalypt woodlands (i.e Manna Gum).

What their feeding signs look like and.

At the information session’s participants learn: More information can be found by clicking here.Īlternatively, volunteers can elect to attend one of our annual count training sessions which are generally held on the morning of the count in Casterton. No, participants do not require any prior experience to assist with the annual count, although we do ask all volunteers to become familiar with what Red-tails look and sound like, as they can often be misidentified with the more common Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Do you need any prior experience searching for birds? This is when the birds tend to be more vocal and visible. Volunteer search groups can search their allocated site at any time during the day of the count however staff suggest searching up until midday and/or from 3pm until dusk. What time is best to search for the cockatoos? family, friends etc), however there are often opportunities for single volunteers to join in with other search groups. Participants are encouraged to organise their own search group (i.e. There are often far more birds in the stringybark than previously thought. Surprisingly, Red-tails blend well into their stringybark habitat. Sometimes volunteers will be asked to flush the birds into flight to gain a better count. Volunteer counters are also asked to record the time and location (grid reference) as to where the birds were seen. If birds are observed, counters are asked to count and record the total number of birds seen and where possible identify the number of males compared to barred birds (females and juveniles). If feeding signs are found, volunteers are asked to stop regularly until the birds are located by sound.

BIG BLACK COCKATOO WINDOWS

‘Drive in the Park’ – which involves driving slowly (10kph) and quietly around your site with the windows down listening for birds and looking for signs of feeding.‘Scientific’ – which involves stopping every 500m to listen for the cockatoo’s distinctive call.On the day, each search group covers their site(s) via vehicle (preferably 4WD) using one of two methods: Almost all of the search areas (except for those searching their own land) will be located on public land. Participants can request a particular area to search upon registration, or nominate to search their own land. Landholders who have stringybark on their property are also encouraged to register and search their own land on the day. Volunteer search groups are allocated a site in stringybark habitat, within the range, to search for the cockatoos. Please click here to register your interest for the event.

The next Annual Cocky Count will take place on Saturday. It is during this time that we are more likely to obtain a greater count of birds than compared to counting over spring and summer (breeding season) when the cockatoos are more often in pairs or small family groups. During autumn and winter, Red-tails will often form large flocks ranging from 50 to up to 500 individuals. The annual count is held over one day in May each year (usually first Saturday in May). The annual count also raises awareness of the specialised needs of the cockatoo and offers volunteers a chance to become involved in recovery activities. This information allows us to complete our annual flock counts, which provide us with an indication of breeding success. Information gained from the annual count is used to determine the location of large flocks, patterns of habitat use and the minimum population size. Many landholders who have remnant stringybark on their property also participate by searching their own land on the day. This involves coordinating volunteer search groups to conduct searches for Red-tails across more than sixty annual sites in stringybark habitat from Keith to Mount Gambier in South Australia and Little Desert National Park to Nelson in Victoria. Since 1996, BirdLife Australia and the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team have coordinated a range wide count for the endangered South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo across south-western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia.

Big black cockatoo