Despite accounts that Carnaby’s black cockatoos have started feeding on canola, a new report has shown that predation by the birds has almost no impact on canola crops.
Research conducted by the University of Sydney found that Carnaby’s black cockatoos damaged an average of 0.003% of each farmer’s crop, a total value of just $6.50 for each grower participating in the study.
The report was commissioned by the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo Recovery Project – a joint initiative of Birds Australia WA, WWF-Australia and the Department of Environment and Conservation. The research was funded by WWF.
“We were concerned about reports that Carnaby’s black cockatoos have begun to include canola in their diets,” said Carnaby’s cockatoo spokesperson for WWF, Katherine Howard.
“They’re intelligent birds, and as their natural food supply has decreased due to extensive land clearing both in the wheatbelt and on the coast, they have learned to exploit non-native species such as pine trees, the weed wild radish, and canola. This has the potential to bring this already endangered species into conflict with farmers, so we knew we had to look into it.”
The total population of Carnaby’s black cockatoos, found only in the Southwest corner of Western Australia, has collapsed by as much as 50% in the past 45 years. The species has disappeared from at least a third of its former nesting range. The main cause of this decline is loss of habitat.
Chris Jackson, Masters Researcher for the University of Sydney, said “Our research found that, over the 2008 season, the damage caused by Carnaby’s cockatoos to canola crops was negligible. We suspect that the populations of Carnaby’s cockatoos in the wheatbelt are so small, they are unlikely to become a significant problem for canola growers in the future”.
“Canola damage is much more commonly caused by other bird species, most notably galahs, corellas and Australian ringnecks.”
Birds Australia works with farmers to protect nesting and feeding habitats on private land by providing funds to fence and manage priority remnant vegetation. To date the project has protected over 1500 hectares of Carnaby’s black cockatoo habitat such as salmon gum and wandoo woodland through fencing, conservation covenants and voluntary management agreements.
A link to the report, ‘Assessing and Quantifying Canola Crop Damage by Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris in the south-west of Western Australia’ can be found on the Birds Australia website at the bottom of the page.
Interested in protecting your remnant bush to help Carnaby’s cockatoos? Contact Raana Scott, Project Manager, Birds Australia on 0427 707 047 or [email protected].
Media Inquires: Alvin Stone,WWF-Australia. Ph: 02 8202 1259. Mbl: 0410 068 410. Email: [email protected]