Suchergebnisse

Nature conservation and agricultural production may be considered as conflicting objectives, but for a wheat and sheep property in Western Australia they have been pivotal management objectives for the last 48 years. Koobabbie, a 7,173 ha property, has retained 41.5% of the original native vegetation, and is a designated Important Bird Area by BirdLife Australia, while still being an economically profitable agricultural enterprise. Since 1987 the owners of Koobabbie have kept detailed records of the avifauna of the property, and encouraged staff from government, non-government and academic organisations to conduct research and monitoring of the endangered Carnaby's Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris breeding on their property. In addition, they have instituted control programs for two over-abundant cockatoo species which compete with Carnaby's Cockatoo for nest sites, and for Feral Cats that are predators of nesting female Carnaby's Cockatoo and their offspring. This paper presents the results of research and monitoring from 2003-2013, during which seven artificial nesting hollows were erected, and former active nest hollows that had become derelict were repaired. By 2008, the number of breeding pairs on the property was at least 27, but two mass deaths of breeding females in 2009 and 2012 reduced the number of breeding pairs by 80%. This study illustrates the importance of monitoring conservation on private property, and raises a number of issues in relation to management of endangered species dependent on large hollow-bearing trees on private property.

Abstract
ContextThe Baudin's cockatoo is one of three black cockatoo species endemic to Western Australia and is listed as Endangered by state and federal governments. Although there is a Recovery Plan in place for this species, conservation efforts are hindered by gaps in knowledge regarding the species movement ecology.
AimsTo identify key foraging and roosting habitat for Baudin's cockatoos and to determine differences in flock movements, including the spatial extent of movement, in Urban, Peri-urban and Forest regions using telemetry data.
MethodsWild Baudin's cockatoos that had been injured and undergone rehabilitation were equipped with satellite PTT (platform transmitter terminal) and GPS tags and released back into wild flocks. The study birds, and the flocks into which they integrated, were tracked in the field to collect telemetry and observational data. Satellite data were used to define the types of movement behaviour (resident, ranging, migratory), and GPS data were analysed to determine key foraging and roosting habitat, and to calculate home range area estimates.
Key resultsThere was a significant difference in flock movement between the Urban/Peri-urban regions and the Forest region in terms of daily distances moved and distances between roosts, with these parameters being far greater for the Forest region. Additionally, flock sizes were larger in the Forest region compared with the Urban and Peri-urban regions. In Urban and Peri-urban regions, key habitat comprised remnant vegetation in urban green space (nature reserves, parks and private property), and roadside and riparian vegetation, which served as movement corridors in the landscape.
ConclusionsThe research shows that it is important to maintain vegetation connectivity in the landscape. This enables Baudin's cockatoos to utilise key patches of remnant vegetation in their non-breeding wintering grounds in Urban and Peri-urban regions of the Perth Peel Coastal Plain. Further research on the movement ecology of Baudin's cockatoos should focus on habitat suitability modelling, which, in combination with the identified key habitat sites, will benefit the decision-making process in relation to conservation management of this endangered black cockatoo species.
ImplicationsThis research has benefited the conservation management of Baudin's cockatoos by providing information on key habitat through satellite tracking and outlining the importance of the connective features of remnant vegetation. We advocate for further telemetry studies combined with habitat suitability modelling to preserve the necessary habitat for the persistence of this species in the Western Australian landscape.