Goodbye Pink N

Last week I confirmed the first mortality of one of my study birds. It is sad to loose one but it has overall been really encouraging to see just how well the rehabilitated birds have adjusted to being back in the wild.

The cause of death will remain unknown but she did survive for a whole month after release. She was found under pines next to a remnant of Banksia woodland east of Yanchep National Park.

The new hand held tracking gear enabled me to find her tracking device when previous attempts at searching the area had failed to find her (even armed with a metal detector). The device had been giving very inaccurate location readings because it was transmitting from a slope under the canopy of trees which was hampering its signal reaching the satellites.

Pink N's tracking device still attached to tail feathers

Blue A sighting

I tested some new equipment this morning. It is going to be a big help with field work next year. It led me to Blue A in Middle Swan. The battery in her tracking device is failing but was strong enough for me to locate with the new equipment. Below is a pic of her amongst some flock mates feeding on Marri seeds and also a closeup of her tail showing the identifying marks still visible but faded. She seemed quite happy waddling about on the ground before flying away.




 

Blue A to left of image nibbling at seed pods of Prickly Moses (Acacia pulchella)

Closeup of Blue A's faded but still recognisable tail markings

Flying around

Both my study birds and I have been flying around the countryside these last couple of weeks. I have been participating as a counter for the annual aerial kangaroo surveys. We flew over where some of my study birds have been hanging out which gave me an interesting perspective of their habitat.


Blue X has visited the Clackline area

 

Blue E has spent a lot of time in pine plantations near Lake Preston

 Four of my study birds have flown inland in the last couple of weeks. Our long distance traveller, Pink S, (who was released at Yanchep, travelled up to near Lancelin, then further up the coast to Arrowsmith, back down to Jurien, then near Cervantes)...has now travelled 100 km inland to near New Norcia! I can't keep up!!

Others have moved inland to Bindoon, Morangup and Clackline.

Cheeky Chasey

During our lunch break from fitting tracking devices to Baudin's cockatoos we had the opportunity to meet Chasey. He was hit by a car when he was very young and is now one of the cockatoos used for education by the Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre.

He isn't always well behaved as the photo below shows. He is very skilled at button removal!

Lian Yeap and Chasey (with button in his beak!)

Great Cocky Count results for 2012

The results of the 2012 Great Cocky Count have been released. The report is available from the BirdLife Australia website.

Satellite tracking Baudin's cockatoos

Last week I helped attach satellite tracking devices to two Baudin's cockatoos. We used the same devices and methodology I used on my study birds with the hope that it would work just as well. They were released on Friday evening and so far so good.

Murdoch University released a media statement today that summarises their movements for the first few days and other details.



Baudin's cockatoo has a much longer bill than Carnaby's cockatoo

Louise Hopper and Anna Le Souef releasing the two Baudin's cockatoos at Rushton Park, Kelmscott

September update

Data management course

I have just returned from a week long intensive course on data management for movement ecology. I met some fantastic people and learnt a lot. It is always a good experience when many like-minded people are put in a room together to share stories and experiences about their common interests.

If you are interested, the course materials are available here. Similar or related courses were held earlier this year in Amsterdam and Norway. It is certainly a rapidly advancing area of study. The technology and associated spatial database tools and analysis techniques are all quickly developing and many cooperative projects (e.g. MoveBank, WRAM etc) are underway helping to share knowledge between researchers.

Lecture room for course

Study bird update

Whilst I have been away two more tracking devices have stopped transmitting, most likely from battery failure. Just before his tracking device stopped, Blue L was last recorded in a new area for him south of the river in the vicinity of Canning Vale. Another notable movement was again from Pink S (the study bird who took the long flight up to Arrowsmith). He has returned south about 50km to the vicinity of Jurien.

Cockatoo sign

A new sign has been created to alert motorists that Carnaby's cockatoo frequents an area. The signs are being placed at locations where cockatoos are often struck by vehicles. They are quite large birds and must take off into the wind which means they sometimes cannot move fast enough to get out of the way of passing traffic. Places where they drink from puddles beside the road or feed on roadside vegetation are where they are most vulnerable (see my previous post Living Dangerously). Hopefully the signs will encourage motorists to slow down and reduce the number of cockatoos struck by vehicles.

A media statement with a photo of the new sign is available here.

A previous media statement titled road danger for cockatoos also highlights the problem of vehicles for cockatoos.

August update

I am happy to report that there are 9 out of 11 tracking devices that are still attached to cockatoos and transmitting. I keep wondering how much longer the batteries will last!

I have been busy following flocks, taking copious field notes and learning lots about the cockatoos. They have remained reasonably stable in their locations over recent weeks. Apart from the impressive journey to Arrowsmith the only other notable movements have been the two in the hills that drifted north and then back again and one of my study birds that had spent a lot of time in the Mt Lawley area has recently made a move up to the vicinity of The Vines.

I am about to travel to a course on managing data for movement ecology. Perfect timing for my study seeing as my study birds have been sending heaps of great data on their whereabouts. Now I just have to figure out how best to analyse it!

Nest monitoring is about to start with the first field trip in September. I will miss it because I will be away on the course but I am eagerly waiting to see if any of my study birds are sighted in the breeding areas.

How many cockatoos can perch in a tree?

Long flight

One of my study birds has flown a massive 170km within a 5 day period! He is now in the vicinity of Arrowsmith, between Leeman and Dongara. Not a bad marathon effort.

Well done to the Perth Zoo staff and Native Animal Rescue vollies that took care of this birds' wing injury (microchip 6F2672C if you want to look him up on your records). They have done a great job with this cockatoo. He has certainly demonstrated that he now has no problems flying!

Latest sightings

On Saturday morning I followed a large flock of Carnaby's into Koondoola bushland. It was a cold misty morning as shown in the photo below. Amongst the mist and as the sun began to warm the air I managed to find and photograph two of my study birds!

The first one I encountered was "Blue L" who was busy cleaning his toes and preening his tail feathers trying to dry off. It was a very wet afternoon the day before and would've been a cold night. I watched carefully as he used his beak to run along his outer tail feathers. He didn't pay any attention at all to the tracking device on his central tail feathers.

The second study bird I encountered had a very faded green tail. I managed to photograph the leg band. Most shots showed the join in the band!...but as he reached up to scratch his cheek I snapped a shot that showed one of the numbers. From that one number I was able to identify him as "Green V". He was released at Perry Lakes back in April. A different green tailed individual was also recently seen in Underwood Avenue bushland.

Will they stay or will they go?

July is when most Carnaby's cockatoos migrate away from the Swan Coastal Plain to breed. I am keenly watching the location fixes of my study birds to see when they decide to go or if they decide to stay. Hopefully the batteries in the tracking devices last long enough!!

Earlier this week I found "Blue L" amongst a flock feeding on the seeds and nectar of Banksia menziesii in Whiteman Park. He definately has lots of 'friends' as I managed to count 174 in his flock when they all took flight together.

"Blue L" flying over Whiteman Park. You can just see a hint of blue and the
tip of the tracking device's aerial

 

A flock of 174 Carnaby's cockatoos. Blue L is in there somewhere.

Golf course antics

Anyone for golf?...if you can find your ball amongst the honkey nuts!

I recently watched these cockatoos at Collier Park Golf Course making a mess of the fairways with their feeding efforts and doing gymnastic exercises with a hole marker flag.

The satellite tracking devices have shown that at least two of my study birds have been roosting at night in the pines around Collier Park Golf Course, Curtin University and Technology Park. I was hoping to spot them amongst the flocks feeding and drinking at the golf course. No luck this time though.

Map of movements

Here's a map which summarises the movements of all 11 Carnaby's cockatoos fitted with satellite tracking devices for the first month after release. They have certainly travelled a few kilometres!

For the young artists

The WA Museum has prepared a series of colouring-in sheets of black cockatoos including one of Carnaby's cockatoo standing on a fence post and another of Carnaby's cockatoo at a nest box.

Like me you can colour their tails all sorts of bright colours!

Why sightings are important

I have had a few questions about why I need sightings of my study birds when they are being tracked by satellite so I thought I'd explain.

The tracking devices are tiny weighing only 17g so they have limited battery life. They are programmed to switch on for only a few hours at a time. There are also gaps in when satellites are overhead to be able to receive the signal and tell me where they are. Sightings help fill in the gaps.

The tracking devices will stop transmitting well before the marking on their tails fade or the feathers are moulted early next year so sightings will extend the time over which the study birds are followed.

Sightings also provide the opportunity to make other observations such as what they are feeding on, flock size and direction of travel. These observations help explain why they might be in a particular location.

Where are they now?

Yesterday was the last day for getting daily updates on the location of my study birds. To save battery life they will now only switch on for a few hours each morning every 5 days.

It is really important to get public sightings to fill in the gaps in where they are moving. Here are some clues on the last known whereabouts of my study birds. If you happen to live or visit the areas mentioned please keep an extra keen look out for them!

Blue tails
Two are still in the vicinity Morangup/Bailup in the Perth hills. They seems quite happy circling around that area. One is still heading south with its last location fix inland from Preston Beach - he is now over 100 km from the release site! Two that were in the general vicinity of Mount Lawley have drifted north into Malaga and Landsale. Probably just as well given the bad weather that swept though the Morley area yesterday. The third blue tail that was previously recorded in the vicinity of Mount Lawley ceased transmitting at the end of May.

Pink tails
Two pink tails are still doing laps into and out of Yanchep National Park to visit the nearby Pinjar pine plantation. Another pink tail spends most of its time in the vicinity of Sea Trees estate on the road to Two Rocks. One has drifted south to the vicinity of Nowerup. The remaining pink tail has settled in an area along Lancelin Rd to the north of Yanchep National Park between Seabird and Ledge Point.

Who ate it?

Did you know that you can identify which cockatoo or parrot species has fed upon a Marri nut (Corymbia calophylla) based on the marks left by the lower mandible and the level of chewing?

The WA Museum has prepared an information sheet that illustrates Marri nuts fed upon by a number of species including Carnaby's cockatoo.

Launch of a book about Carnaby's cockatoo

If you'd like a chance to meet Leighton De Barros film maker and author of the new book On a Wing and  Prayer: The Story of  Carnaby's cockatoo family, here are the details of the book launch event. Both Rick Dawson (the human star of the documentary) and myself will be there too.

When: 5.30pm Friday 8 June 2012
Venue: Western Australian Conservation Science Centre. 17 Dick Perry Ave, Kensington, WA
RSVP: Cathy Birch on 9334 0296 by Tuesday 5 June

Light refreshements will follow.

"On a Wing and a Prayer: the story of a Carnaby’s cockatoo family introduces us to the world of the Carnaby’s cockatoo; one of five species of black cockatoo whose populations have declined dramatically.  Every milestone in their struggle to survive is documented through the engaging story of one cockatoo family.  This is a story of love, loss and sheer endurance.

Witness the parent’s unique nest-selection behaviour, see their elaborate courtship, and revel in the miracle of new life as the first chick breaks through its shell.  Much depends on the chick’s survival but life at the hollow is tough and threats are many – hypothermia, starvation, predators and poachers are but a few.  While the female tries to protect her precious offspring, the male risks predation, exhaustion and road traffic accidents to find food for his family in a depleted natural habitat. 

We follow Department of Environment and Conservation senior wildlife investigator Rick Dawson’s work as he passionately shepherds the birds on their life journey.  Whether he’s using surveillance devices to protect against poachers, rescuing an injured Carnaby’s cockatoo, or releasing rehabilitated birds back into the wild, he will go to great lengths to help save this endearing bird.  Join him on his journey."

RRP $24.95 – Available from Department of Environment and Conservation offices, ABC shops and other good bookstores.

Cockatoo tracking update

'Blue Tails' Released at Perry Lakes
One started out by hanging out around the Perry Lakes area and then moved into Nedlands and Dalkeith. Since crossing the river it has continued heading south, visiting Manning Lake, Leda Nature Reserve area and is currently in Baldivis.

Three have stayed relatively close together frequenting the suburbs surrounding Mount Lawley Golf Course including Coolbinia, Yokine, Menora, North Perth, Inglewood, Bedford and Morley.

Two are still in the hills and after moving through Gidgegannup have settled in the vicinity of Morangup and south of Toodyay Rd.


'Pink Tails' Released at Yanchep National Park
All five released at Yanchep have stayed in the general vicinity of the National Park. They have visited and roosted in the nearby pine plantation to the northwest.

Pink tails

Today we released five Carnaby's cockatoos at Yanchep National Park. This group have had their tails coloured pink together with an individual identifying letter.




They have been fitted with satellite tracking devices. The pic to the left shows the vets anaesthetising one of my study birds so that I can attach the transmitter.

It will be interesting to compare the movements of this group with those released a week earlier at Perry Lakes.

The blue colour used on the cockatoos released at Perry Lakes is already lasting better than the green of the very first release of my study birds so I am hoping to get sightings over a longer period. Incidentally, a green tail was sighted a couple of evenings ago in the flock coming to drink at Perry Lakes before roosting for the night.

This will be the last release for a little while until the next group of birds are ready for release from rehabilitation.

Where have they gone? - Day 2

There are four cockatoos that appear to still be roosting at Perry Lakes or nearby. Three have been foraging during the day in the vicinity of Mount Lawley Golf Course. One has remained near Perry Lakes and has visited Nedlands and Dalkeith. The two that headed for the hills have travelled further east into Gidgegannup.

This photo was taken yesterday morning (20th May) of the cockatoos shortly after they left the Perry Lakes roost. They initially settled in a couple of dead trees within Underwood Ave bush. I snapped some shots hoping to capture the blue tails and was rewarded. There are two cockatoos with blue tails in this shot!

Where have they gone? - Day 1

Here's a quick update on the whereabouts of the cockatoos that we released yesterday.

It was a big relief and exciting to finally see the data coming from the tracking devices when they activated earlier today. So many people have put in a big effort to rehab these birds, trial attaching devices to them and help me prepare the birds for yesterday's release. Thank you to you all!

Only one remained close to the release site on Day 1 after release. One travelled to the vicinity of Bayswater. Two went north to Yokine and most surprising of all two have already travelled all the way to Herne Hill/Jane Brook area! They weren't messing about heading towards home in the hills. They were originally collected from Mundaring and Bickley. Where will they go tomorrow?

Satellite tracking trial

We released six Carnaby's cockatoos at Perry Lakes today fitted with tracking devices. It is the first time satellite tracking devices have been used on black cockatoos.

Battery life is short but for a fortnight after release I will receive regular location readings, and then once every five days I will receive an update of where the birds have gone until battery life is exhausted in about 2-3 months.

These cockatoos have also had part of their white tail feather panels coloured blue and an individual identifying letter stencilled on each tail feather.

 

Reports of sightings of the tail marked cockatoos will compliment the data received via the tracking devices so please look out for them and let me know when you see them.

ABC News ran a story on the release. It can be viewed here.

Planting cockatoo food

The weather has cooled off and we've had some rain so now is a good time to establish some new plants in the garden. Why not plant species that will produce food for Carnaby's cockatoo? You can use the Plants for Carnaby's Search Tool to find out what plants will match your site and purpose for planting.

The Friends of Kings Park is holding its next plant sale on the 20th May and the Eastern Hills Wildflower Society is holding its annual plant sale on the 12th May (Octagonal Hall, Glen Forrest). They are great places to find local plants species that you can't normally find in nurseries.

Aerial-batics

Here's a series of photos of Carnaby's cockatoos enjoying perching on TV aerials in Victoria Park.

Peacan eating party

Screech, flap

Mmmm....Macadamia (Green A enjoys a Macadamia nut)

Bounce, bounce

Thanks for the sightings

We've now had sightings reported from Shenton Park, Subiaco, Claremont, Mosman Park, Kensington, Victoria Park and Girrawheen. Most of these suburbs have had multiple sightings. Keep them coming!

The paint is fading but you can still see the emerald green colour. I took this photo of a green-tailed cockatoo today.

The cockatoos were quite coorperative this morning allowing me to move amongst them as they had their breakfast of Banksia menziesii. I watched this interaction between a pair of Carnaby's cockatoos and a wattle bird.

and watched this youngster almost fall of its perch...

Living dangerously

This is a photo I recently took along Underwood Ave early in the morning. I was following the birds as they left their night roost at Perry Lakes. A heart stopping moment but thankfully this time no cockatoos were injured.

 

Carnaby's cockatoos feeding on Banksia prionotes in road median strip


If you are travelling in the area please slow down along Underwood Ave in Shenton Park where the Banksias and Eucalypts are flowering.

Great Cocky Count

The Great Cocky Count is this Sunday 15th April. It is an annual snapshot survey to find out how many Carnaby's cockatoos are using the Swan Coastal Plain (and beyond).

Please contact Tamara Kabat (Birdlife Australia) if you'd like to participate. For more details please see the information sheet.

If you do participate, please look out for my tail marked birds and report sightings of them to me. This is a great opportunity to find out how far they have dispersed.

If you have registered to be a volunteer for the count you will have received an information pack/email which includes my contact details and a number to call if you see a green-tailed cockatoo during your survey. I would like to try to follow them when they leave the roost in the morning so please call me to report your sighting as soon as you can (even late that night).

First sighting

I received the first report of a sighting of a green tailed black cockatoo today (thanks Marg!).

It was seen this morning in Underwood Ave bushland. Photographic proof too.

Green D sighting (Photo by M. Owen)

The individual sighted had been in rehabilitation since 2008 which was the longest out of this release group.

Great to see these birds get a second chance.

Fly, be free!

We released nine rehabilitated  Carnaby's cockatoos at Perry Lakes yesterday evening.

A video of the release is available here.

The marks that we have made to the white panels of their tail feathers are noticeable. This release group is coloured green. The next release will be a different colour. An individual identifying letter has been marked on each tail feather as well.

Have you seen a tail marked Carnaby's cockatoo?

Please contact me if you have.

Cockatoo release postponed

Our first attempt at releasing the cockatoos went well until a fire started less than 2km from the release site. We were all ready to go with the birds safe in pet packs and about 50 people, mostly volunteers from Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre and Native Animal Rescue, turned up to watch. It was a noisy place to be with all the helicopers and planes circling around to drop water on the flames as well as fire engines with sirens screaming. Not the best environment to release a group of cockatoos so we chose to postpone the release.

Hello world

I officially enrolled in my PhD to study Carnaby's cockatoo in January this year.

Yesterday we tested the readiness for release of a group of Carnaby's cockatoos being cared for at Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre. They have been kept in a large flight aviary building up their wing muscles.

We selected 9 to be released and these will be my first group of study birds. We marked their tails, fitted them with leg bands and recorded their weight. They will spend a couple more days in the aviary before we release them.


Once they are released I am hoping that the tail markings will be sighted and reported and we'll be able to collate the sightings to find out where they go.