Bringing back the glossy black-cockatoo
Project Overview
Once abundant, the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo population is rapidly declining, predominantly due to land clearing practices that have removed food sources and nesting sites, leading to local extinctions and range contractions.
The 2019-20 mega fires that devasted much of eastern Australia have had a major impact on the feeding resources and available habitat for the (South-eastern) Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo population. This has resulted in this subspecies to be recently listed as vulnerable under the federal EPBC Act.
Local Land Services, in collaboration with Charles Sturt University and Habitat Innovation & Management will supply and install 35 specifically designed Habitech Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo nest boxes on private and public land throughout the Central Tablelands and Central West regions through the Bringing Back the Glossy Black project.
This project aims to raise community awareness of the current threats to the Great Glossy-Black Cockatoo by facilitating workshops with rural landholders and the broader community. Partnering with Charles Sturt University will also establish the project for further research and monitoring of the success of the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo nest boxes, including an increased understanding of the specific ecological requirements for these birds when selecting a nesting site.
Project Partners
Local Land Services is partnering with Charles Sturt University and Habitat Innovation & Management to deliver the Bringing Back the Glossy Black Project.
This project received grant funding from WIRES through its annual National Grants Program.
Habitech Nest Boxes
With the ongoing decline in numbers of the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo, the Habitat Innovation & Management team, in consultation with several Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo experts, have designed and developed a nest box to the exact specifications the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo requires. This includes depth and width of hollow, angle and features of entrance spout. These nest boxes are currently under development and will be manufactured using the same thermally stable material as the current modular Habitech nest boxes.
What we're doing on the ground
In 2023, landholders will be engaged and 35 nest boxes installed at a minimum of 8 targeted locations where ornithological experts anticipate the greatest chance of successful breeding of Glossy-Black Cockatoos.
Two field days will be hosted, one in the Central Tablelands LLS region and a second within the Central West LLS region.
Educational and promotional materials will be produced to increase the understanding and the plight of the Glossy-Black Cockatoo, and the importance of retaining feeding habitat and hollow bearing trees.
How to get involved
Local Land Services are seeking appropriate sites to install the nest boxes. Before you get in touch, please fill out your contact details and the 5-question survey on our online form.
Citizen Science
If you would like to get involved with monitoring the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo through citizen science, there are two apps we recommend using:
If you would like to you can also listen to the call of a Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo.
For further information about the Great Glossy Black-Cockatoo, please visit The Glossy Black Conservancy website.
More information
For more information on this project, contact Katie McPherson, Senior Land Services Officer with Central Tablelands Local Land Services via kate.a.mcpherson@lls.nsw.gov.au