Birds Australia have been working hard with members of the Noongar community to establish new nest hollows for Carnaby’s Cockatoo. Dejan Stojanovic at bottom of ladder and Bradley Farmer dangling higher up are connecting one of the hollows to a large marri. Brad hung all of the hollows on Yarrabee and Peniup. These hollows were hung as part of a trial to look at the use of artificial hollows by the Cockatoos. Five sites were selected, a site used for breeding previously but recently burned in a fire, three sites where Carnaby’s Cockatoo were regularly seen but not known to breed and one well-used nesting site.

In the photo Brad is hanging an artificial hollow- note the sacrificial chew post in the tube. These posts need to be replaced, sometimes annually after the hollows have been used by a Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo. For this reason (amongst others), it is important that hollows are regularly tended and checked, meaning also that hollows should be hung in areas not likely to have unauthorised visitors (ie. poachers).

The team was Brad, Raana, Dejan, Eugene, Eugene’s daughters and grandson.