Green army helps the humble cockatoo with a nest box

Green army helps the humble cockatoo with a nest box

13516
A nest box was installed for Black Cockatoo conservation month.

A Green Army team, working with Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group, the Friends of Mary Carrol Park and the City of Gosnells, fabricated and installed a nest box for Black Cockatoo conservation last month.

Green Army team member Tim Frodsham said the box took about 12 to 15 hours to build but was installed in an hour and 15 minutes.

“By installing the box and providing explanatory signage for passers-by to read, this will raise awareness in the public about the issues facing this endangered species,” he said.

“Some of these issues are habitat loss from loss of old growth trees with nesting hollows which are typically in the wheat belt areas to clearing, rising soil salinity, dieback and fire.”

Mr Frodsham also said the Green Army had worked closely with the environmental education and land care agency, South East Region Centre for Urban Landcare.

“This was very much a collective and team effort that we undertook to raise awareness of the need to help this beautiful and iconic species to recover from a number of threats,” he said.

“The installation of the nest box helps reduce the loss of natural hollows in forest habitats but the hollows are often exploited by competing possums, galahs and feral bees.

“While nesting hollow losses are part of the solution in a complex range of strategies we can use to bring this species back from the brink of extinction, it is symbolically important and serves to help raise public awareness for Black Cockatoo conservation.”