2011 great cocky count: population estimates and
TRANSCRIPT
2011 Great Cocky Count: Population estimates and identification of
roost sites for the Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris).
Report prepared by BirdLife Australia for the WA Department of Environment and
Conservation.
February 2012
Alexander P. Kabat1, Raana Scott
1, Tamara J. Kabat
1 and Geoff Barrett
2
1BirdLife Australia
Peregrine House
167 Perry Lakes Drive
Floreat WA 6014
2Department of Environment and Conservation
Swan Region
7 Turner Avenue
Technology Park
Bentley WA 6102
© Xander
Kabat
© Xander Kabat
Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost survey contact for the Government of Western Australia Department
of Environment and Conservation
Dr Geoff Barrett
Regional Ecologist
Swan Region
Department of Environment and Conservation
7 Turner Avenue
Technology Park
Bentley WA 6102
Email: [email protected]
© Government of Western Australia 2012
This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in
unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within
your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other
rights are reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be
addressed to the Department of Environment and Conservation.
The 2011 Great Cocky Count and subsequent preparation of this document has been funded
from offset funds provided as condition of Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) approval of development in the Perth Region. The 2011
Great Cocky Count continues the 2010 project funded by WA Natural Resource Management
Program and is part of the continuing Carnaby’s Cockatoo recovery program.
Acknowledgements
BirdLife Australia and the Department of Environment and Conservation thank Anna Wisolith,
who worked extremely hard entering the survey data and undertaking data extraction, Brett
Glossop for ArcMap help, and Peter Mawson and Cheryl Gole for comments on drafts. The
map in Figure 1 is used with permission from the Department of Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC). A huge thank you goes out to the 263
volunteers and BirdLife Australia members who enthusiastically and willingly gave up their
time to count cockatoos. The project would not have been possible without them.
i
Summary
• This report presents the findings of the 2011 Great Cocky Count undertaken on 7 April 2011,
which identified Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost sites throughout the species’ range and provided a
population estimate for the DEC Swan Region.
• The range of the survey has been expanded to include a total of 323 locations from Geraldton
to Esperance: 123 confirmed roosts, 35 unconfirmed roost sites, and 165 potential roosts.
• The 2011 Great Cocky Count formally surveyed 185 sites, utilising 263 volunteer surveyors.
• Despite extensive survey effort, only 11 new roost sites were identified in the DEC Swan
Region, suggesting that few large roosts were overlooked during the 2010 Great Cocky Count.
• There was a statistically significant (p < 0.01) decline of 37% from 6,672 Carnaby’s
Cockatoos counted in 2010 to 4,222 counted in 2011, in the DEC Swan Region.
• There was a statistically significant (p = 0.002) decline of 34% from 6,282 Carnaby’s
Cockatoos counted in 2010 to 4,143 counted in 2011, in the Greater Perth Region.
• Modelling based on the total count of 4,222 Carnaby’s Cockatoos in 2011 suggests an
estimated total population of 5,177 to 8,629 birds for the DEC Swan Region.
• At 65 matched roost locations, there was a statistically significant decline (p < 0.01, 40%) in
the number of birds counted in 2011 (3,038 birds) compared with 2010 (5,058 birds).
• Four follow-up surveys performed at monthly intervals following the 2011 Great Cocky Count
confirmed this population decline, showing a mean 19% decline in numbers of birds compared
with time-matched surveys performed in 2010 Great Cocky Count follow-up surveys.
• The follow-up surveys also validate the technique as a repeatable measure and indicate that
intrinsic nightly variation effects did not have a significant impact on counts.
• On the night of the 2011 Great Cocky Count, 64 of the 185 sites surveyed (35%) were
occupied, supporting the view that many roost locations are not occupied all of the time and that
the number of birds using them will vary from night to night.
• There was a statistically significant (p = 0.03) decrease in the average number of Carnaby’s
Cockatoos per roost in 2011 (78 ± 12 s.e., 64 roosts) compared with 2010 (165 ± 26 s.e., 50
roosts).
• There was a shift in roost utilisation between the 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky Counts, with the
number of roosts that had 151 to 500 cockatoos reduced by 42% and no roosts had more than
500 birds. There was a 66% increase in the number of roosts that had 150 or fewer birds,
potentially indicating a shift to smaller roost sizes.
• The Great Cocky Count is a repeatable, valid and robust technique for generating accurate
counts of numbers of cockatoos on a single night at known roosts. In order to assess the long
term trajectory of decline or increase there is a critical need to continue surveying Carnaby’s
Cockatoo roost locations at least annually over the long term.
ii
Key Terms and Concepts
2006 Great Cocky Count (2006 GCC): The first Great Cocky Count was held in 2006. That
preliminary project tested three survey methods for estimating populations of Carnaby’s
Cockatoo. One of these involved counting birds at 16 large scale roost sites (super roosts – see
below), producing a total count for each of the roost sites (Shah 2006). Two subsequent Great
Cocky Counts have been held, one in 2010 (Burnham et al. 2010) and the most recent count in
2011. For these last two GCCs, the method suggested by Berry (2008) was used (see formal
roost surveys below).
Great Cocky Count (2011 GCC and 2010 GCC): All formal roost surveys (see below)
completed on the 7th
of April in both 2010 and 2011 during the time period from around 30
minutes prior to official sunset continuing until at least 30 minutes after sunset, following the
protocol described by Shah (2006) and using the recording methods designed by Berry (2008)
(see Methods). All data collected during times other than this are considered to be follow-up
surveys (see below) or supplementary counts. Supplementary counts are not used for GCC data
analyses, whereas follow-up survey data were used for temporal comparison as described in the
text.
Berry (2008) recruitment model: The model assumption (originally suggested by Johnstone
and Kirby from the WA Museum) that a pair of birds represents an adult mated pair, and a
group of three birds (triplet) represents a mated pair with that year’s, or the previous year’s
fledgling. Data were recorded using the Berry (2008) protocol where the numbers of birds in
small groups were recorded as a stream that illustrated the sub-groups (as triplets, pairs or
singles) as they fly into the roost. The Berry model allows for an a priori analysis of breeding
success.
Black-Cockatoo: for the purpose of the GCC, both species of White-tailed Black-Cockatoo
(Carnaby's Cockatoo and Baudin’s Cockatoo) are counted as one. This was principally due to
the difficulty in distinguishing them in the field. Where it was known that roosting birds were a
mix of both Carnaby’s and Baudin’s Cockatoo, for example on the Darling Escarpment, the
count was a priori corrected (20% of the birds were assumed to be Carnaby’s Cockatoo).
Formal roost surveys: Roost surveys performed using the methods developed by Johnstone
and Kirkby (pers. comm., WA Museum), described by Shah (2006), and refined by Berry
(2008), and carried out by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), BirdLife
Australia staff and volunteers, or by WA Museum staff.
Follow-up surveys: Monthly follow-up counts (formal roost surveys) following the GCC
protocol (see Methods) completed after the 2011 GCC on one of four designated dates:
Survey 1: Saturday 7th of May - sunset at 17:34 (Perth)
Survey 2: Sunday 5th of June - sunset at 17:19 (Perth)
Survey 3: Saturday 9th of July - sunset at 17:26 (Perth)
Survey 4: Sunday 7th of August - sunset at 17:44 (Perth)
Roost: An area or site with a roost trees or a number or roost trees (see below) where Black-
Cockatoos congregate at dusk to rest overnight.
iii
Super roost: 10 large roosts (consisting of a number of sub-roosts spread across an area of up
to 4x4km) surveyed during the 2006 GCC; see Shah (2006) for details.
Confirmed roost: Any site where Black-Cockatoos were recorded roosting as part of a formal
roost survey (see above).
Unconfirmed roost: Sites where roosting Black-Cockatoos have been reported to BirdLife
Australia (formerly Birds Australia) or DEC but have not had a positive count recorded (>1
bird) during any formal survey. Details of the reporting source have been recorded on the DEC
database.
Potential sites: Any area that is considered a likely roost site for Black-Cockatoos, based on
factors such as proximity of other roosting birds, potential roost trees, feeding habitat and
standing water nearby. Potential sites for roosting have been identified by DEC staff, BirdLife
Australia (formerly Birds Australia) staff and volunteers, and WA Museum staff. Birds have not
yet been seen roosting in these sites but survey effort has been minimal.
Roost trees: All large trees (>8m height) within 1000m of the main roosting area (for large
roosts, >150 birds) and within 500m for smaller roosts (<150 birds) are considered to be
potential roosting trees.
DEC Swan Region: The Department of Environment and Conservation administrative region
that includes the Greater Perth Region plus the Darling Plateau. It includes parts of each of the
Jarrah Forest and Swan Coastal Plain bioregions. For the purposes of the GCC, the latter is
further divided into four areas (see Figure 3).
Greater Perth Region: The area south from Yanchep to Mandurah and east to the Darling
Range escarpment, but does not include the Darling Plateau. For the purposes of the Great
Cocky Count, it was divided into the Northern Swan Coastal Plain (which includes the
Dandaragan Plateau and areas of coastal plain including Gnangara and Yanchep), Northern
suburbs (area immediately north of the Swan River), Southern suburbs (area immediately south
of the Swan River), and Southern peri-urban and Peel Region (Figure 3).
Abbreviations
2006 GCC: 2006 Great Cocky Count
2010 GCC: 2010 Great Cocky Count
2011 GCC: 2011 Great Cocky Count
DEC: Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation
DEC Swan Region: Department of Environment and Conservation Swan Region
PRH: Potential Roost Habitat
SCP: Swan Coastal Plain
RTBC: Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
iv
Contents
SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... i
KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS ..................................................................................................ii
ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................................... iii
TABLES ....................................................................................................................................... vi
FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... vi
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON CARNABY’S BLACK-COCKATOO ......................... 1
Taxonomy 1
Conservation status 1
Species description 2
Life history 2
Distribution 2
Habitat 3
Roosting and feeding habitat 5
Threats 5 Habitat loss 5
Habitat degradation 6 Other threats 6
THE GREAT COCKY COUNT .................................................................................................... 7
Aims of the 2011 Great Cocky Count 7
METHODS .................................................................................................................................... 8
Locating roost sites 8
Volunteer recruitment 8
The GCC survey protocol 10
Count protocol 10
Region description 11
Analysis methodology 11 Population counts 11 Population changes 2010 to 2011 11
Population predicted estimates in DEC Swan Region (population modelling) 12 Population changes from 2006 to 2010 and 2011 14
Roost utilisation 14 Breeding success 15
RESULTS .................................................................................................................................... 16
Volunteer recruitment and survey return 16
v
Locating roost sites 17
Population changes between the 2010 and 2011 GCCs 17
Follow-up surveys 20
Population predicted estimates in DEC Swan Region (population modelling) 21
Population changes between the 2006, 2010 and 2011 GCC 23
Roost utilisation between 2010 and 2011 24
Breeding success 25
DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................................. 27
The 2011 Great Cocky Count 27
Population changes between 2010 and 2011 27
Population changes between 2006 GCC, 2010 GCC and 2011 GCC 28
Roost utilisation and population fragmentation 28
Breeding success 29
CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................................... 30
MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................... 32
SUMMARY STATEMENT ........................................................................................................ 32
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 33
APPENDIX 1. Location details of Great Cocky Count 2011 sites, including site codes and
recorded counts of Carnaby’s Cockatoo. ..................................................................................... 39
APPENDIX 2. Counts of Carnaby’s Cockatoo at 10 super roost locations surveyed in GCC
2006, GCC 2010 and GCC 2011. ................................................................................................ 67
APPENDIX 3. Five linear regressions of Carnaby's Cockatoo population counts from 2011
GCC against Potential Feeding Habitat (PFH; hectares) within 6km radius of roosts and
resulting (mean) model of population density in DEC Swan Region .......................................... 69
APPENDIX 4. Great Cocky Count example data sheet .............................................................. 70
APPENDIX 5. Examples of Volunteer Contact .......................................................................... 72
APPENDIX 6. Volunteer documents .......................................................................................... 79
vi
Tables
Table 1: A listing of the current conservation status of Carnaby's Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus
latirostris, under Australian and State Government legislation and international conventions. 1
Table 2: 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky Count volunteer and survey summary. 16
Table 3: Number of Carnaby’s Cockatoo confirmed roosts*, unconfirmed roosts* and potential
sites*, for Great Cocky Count on 7th April 2011. 17
Table 4: Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost count summary for 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky Counts*. 18
Table 5: Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost summary for 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky Counts. 19
Table 6: Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost utilisation during the 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky Counts. 19
Table 7: Summary of counts of roosting Carnaby’s Cockatoos for GCC follow-up surveys in
2010 and 2011. 21
Table 8: Mean population density of roosting Carnaby’s Cockatoos within each of the areas
within the DEC Swan Region predicted using the potential feeding habitat (ha) within a 6 km
buffer zone around each roost site. 22
Table 9: The three linear regression models generated for estimating population size within the
DEC Swan Region using hectare of potential feeding habitat (PFH) within 3, 6 and 12km buffer
zones, and the resulting probability (R2).* 22
Table 10: Model estimates from linear regressions of overall population of Carnaby’s
Cockatoos roosting compared with actual counted populations in the DEC Swan Region. 23
Table 11: The percent (%) of birds recorded flying as triplets, pairs and singles during the 2010
and 2011 GCC*. 26
Figures
Figure 1: Modelled distribution of Carnaby's Cockatoo. 4
Figure 2: Location of 248 sites assigned to be surveyed during the 2011 Great Cocky Count,
identifying 185 sites surveyed (including locations of new sites) and 64 sites not surveyed. 9
Figure 3: Geographic areas within the DEC Swan Region and sites surveyed within this region
in the 2011 GCC. 13
Figure 4: Number of roosting birds at super roosts surveyed during the 2006, 2010 and 2011
GCCs. 24
Figure 5: A frequency histogram of roost utilisation comparing the 2010 and 2011 GCCs*. 25
1
Background information on Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo
Taxonomy
Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris, Carnaby 1948) is also commonly known as
Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo or Short-billed Black-Cockatoo. It is less commonly known as
Mallee or White-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Higgins 1999; Sibley and Monroe 1990).
Carnaby's Cockatoo is closely related to the Baudin's Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii).
These two species were previously considered to be a single species and listed under the same
common name White-tailed Black-Cockatoo, and were taxonomically known as C. baudinii
(Higgins 1999; Saunders 1974a, 1976). The taxonomic split of these two species is universally
accepted (Christidis and Boles 1994; Saunders 1979b; Sibley and Monroe 1990).
Conservation status
Carnaby’s Cockatoo has suffered a population decline of at least 50% over the past 45 years. It
has been listed as threatened internationally under International Union for Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2001), and federally
under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as endangered and is
protected at the state level under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 (TABLE 1). In 2002, a
Recovery Plan for Carnaby's Cockatoo was put in place by the Department of Environment and
Conservation (Cale 2003). A revised recovery plan is in the final stages of completion. BirdLife
Australia (formerly Birds Australia) instigated its Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo Recovery Project
in 2000, and has been working to conserve the species since that time.
TABLE 1: A listing of the current conservation status of Carnaby's Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus
latirostris, under Australian and State Government legislation and international conventions.
Level Status
Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 State Rare or likely to become extinct
Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999
National
Endangered
IUCN* International Endangered (Decreasing)
CITES** International Appendix II
* IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List Categories and Criteria
** CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
2
Species description
Carnaby's Cockatoos are large, with adults measuring 53 to 58 cm in length, with a wingspan of
up to 110 cm, and a mass of 520 to 790g. The plumage is mostly brownish-black or greyish-
black in colour with off-white margins on the feathers and broad white panels in the tail. Males
have patches over the ear coverts that are off-white or cream, whereas the coverts in females are
white and slightly larger. The bill may have a flaky texture, and is black or grey-black in males
and off-white to grey with a black tip in females. In both sexes the iris is dark brown or reddish-
brown, but the ring of skin that surrounds the eye is dull to bright pink in males and grey or
black in females (Higgins 1999; Johnstone and Storr 1998).
Juvenile birds appear very similar to an adult female but can be distinguished by the harsh
rasping calls emitted when begging for food. They have narrower and more pointed folded
primaries and the bill appears to have a smooth uniform texture. By early in the second year,
immature males can be distinguished from juvenile and adult birds by their bicoloured bill (in
some birds, the upper mandible may appear dark and the lower mandible pale). Immature
females look like adult females from early in the second year (Higgins 1999).
Life history
Carnaby’s Cockatoos can live up to 40 or 50 years in the wild. Perry (1948) reported flocks of
5,000 to 6,000 birds in pine plantations throughout the previous 10 years, whereas Saunders
(1974a) reported flocks of up to 1,500 to 2,000 in the early 1970s.
Carnaby’s Cockatoos generally display a seasonal migratory pattern, whereby they are
predominantly dispersed throughout the wheatbelt during the breeding season (July to
December) then shift to higher rainfall coastal areas during the non-breeding season (December-
July) (Saunders 1990; Berry 2008; Saunders et al. 2011).
During the non-breeding season, Carnaby’s Cockatoo is found in conspicuous, noisy flocks,
though adults tend to be quiet when feeding. Their flight pattern is flowing and easygoing, with
slow, deep wing-beats interspersed with leisurely drifting glides.
During the breeding season, adults nest as solitary pairs (Higgins 1999) within small breeding
flocks. These birds display strong bonds throughout their adult life. The male feeds the female
close to the nest hollow during the incubation and rearing periods. Small breeding flocks
typically water together in the late afternoon.
Distribution
Carnaby’s Cockatoo is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia, its range extending
from Kalbarri to Cape Arid, and inland to Narembeen, Wongan Hills, Perenjori, Mullewa,
Hatters Hill and Grass Patch, an area of approximately 32,000 km² (FIGURE 1; DSEWPaC
2011).
The majority of records are from south of 29°S and west of 120°E (Barrett et al. 2003; Saunders
1974b, 1979a; Saunders and Ingram 1995; Saunders et al.1985; Storr 1987, 1991; Storr and
Johnstone 1988). Carnaby’s Cockatoo occurs in areas of the wheatbelt that experience between
300 and 750 mm annual rainfall, but is found in wetter regions in the extreme south-west
(including the Swan Coastal Plain, and the southern and far south-west coast).
3
Breeding mainly takes place in isolated patches in the wheatbelt, from the Stirling Ranges, east
to the south-west of the Great Western Woodlands and north-west to near Three Springs, but
has also been recorded on the Swan Coastal Plain near Bunbury (Higgins 1999; Saunders
1974b). There are several small resident populations in the northern Greater Perth Region at
Boonanarring, Mooliabeenee and Yanchep National Park and in the southern Greater Perth
Region at Lake Clifton (Johnstone et al. 2007, 2008).
The range of Carnaby’s Cockatoo has contracted by more than 30% since the late 1940s
(Mawson 1997), and Saunders and Ingram (1998) suggested that the species disappeared from
over a third of its former breeding range, including the central wheatbelt, between 1968 and
1990.
Habitat
Carnaby’s Cockatoo occurs in native woodlands, typically dominated by Salmon Gum
Eucalyptus salmonophloia) and Wandoo E. wandoo, and in shrubland or heathland dominated
by Hakea, Banksia (including Dryandra) and Grevillea species (Cale 2003). They are
frequently reported in remnant patches of native vegetation on land otherwise cleared for
agriculture (Saunders 1979b, 1982, 1986) and seasonally inhabit pine plantations (Davies 1966;
Saunders 1974a; Sedgwick 1968, 1973), and forests containing Marri, Jarrah or Karri (Nichols
and Nichols 1984; Saunders 1980). Carnaby’s Cockatoo is occasionally recorded in casuarina
woodlands or mallee (Carnaby 1933; Nichols and Nichols 1984), and is often recorded in towns
or on roadside verges and in gardens around Perth that contain both native and exotic plants
(Sedgewick 1973; Saunders 1980).
The habitat of Carnaby’s Cockatoo became severely fragmented during the mid-twentieth-
century due to the clearing of native forest, woodlands, shrublands and heathlands for
agricultural and suburban development. Today, much of the remaining native habitat occurs in
isolated remnant patches (Saunders 1990; Saunders and Ingram 1998).
4
FIGURE 1: Modelled distribution of Carnaby's Cockatoo. Extracted from “Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 draft referral guidelines
for three threatened black cockatoo species” (2011).
5
Roosting and feeding habitat
Over the non-breeding season (late summer to early winter), significant numbers of Carnaby’s
Cockatoos are found on the Swan Coastal Plain and more coastal areas of the south-west. They
roost in tall native or introduced eucalypts, as well as exotic pines. Tree species known to be
used for roosting include Marri (Corymbia calophylla), Flat-topped Yate (E. occidentalis),
Salmon Gum, Wandoo, Karri (E. diversicolor), Blackbutt (E. patens), Tuart (E.
gomphocephala), Blue Gum (E. globulus), and Pine trees (Pinus radiata and P. pinaster).
Roost sites are thought to allow convenient access to nearby food and water resources, as well
as providing a protected place to rest for the night (pers. obs., G. Barrett). Birds typically arrive,
calling noisily, at the roost within an hour of sunset, and leave the roost in the early morning.
They spend the day moving between foraging sites and can travel up to 30 kilometres from the
roost (Saunders, 1980). Roost sites are used over multiple years, although shifts in food and
water availability are thought to have lead to variable site fidelity (Johnstone and Kirkby 2008).
Communal roosting may also facilitate important social interaction such as mate selection in
unpaired birds (Johnstone and Kirkby 2008).
Carnaby's Cockatoo feeds mainly on seeds and occasionally on other items such as nectar, fruit
and insect larvae. They have learned to use introduced plant species such as pines, and weed
seeds are now an important food resource in areas that have been largely cleared of native
vegetation. Seeds are taken from a variety of native and introduced plants including species of
Banksia, Eucalyptus, Corymbia, Grevillea, Hakea, Isopogon, Lambertia, Casuarina,
Liquidambar, Carya, Emex, Erodium, Lupinus, Pinus, Prunus, Brassia and Raphanus (Cale
2003; Cooper et al. 2002; Jackson 2009; Kenneally 2002; Mawson 1995; Saunders 1980; Shah
2006; Scott and Bartron 2010). Fruit is taken from Brassia actinophylla (Bremner 1996), and
nectar from the flowers of Callistemon viminalis (Mawson 1995). Carnaby's Cockatoo is mostly
arboreal, but will feed on fallen fruits and seeds (Higgins 1999).
Threats
Habitat loss
The decline in numbers of Carnaby's Cockatoos is due to several independent and confounding
factors but the primary impact is due to loss and fragmentation of habitat. The clearing of native
vegetation since the middle of the twentieth-century, mainly for agricultural purposes and urban
development, has caused a 50% decrease in population numbers (Cale 2003; Mawson and
Johnstone 1997; Saunders 1979b, 1980, 1986, 1990; Saunders and Ingram 1987, 1995, 1998;
Saunders et al.1985).
Carnaby's Cockatoo is a limited range migratory species, migrating sequentially through its
range and utilising different habitat types at different times of the year. This makes them
especially vulnerable to the loss, fragmentation or degradation of any one component of critical
habitat. While they appear able to move through fragmented landscapes, they are not
necessarily able to efficiently utilise the remnant vegetation as a foraging resource, as visually
isolated patches of foraging habitat are less likely to be utilised (Saunders 1990), and it is
possible that they suffer higher mortality in moving across fragmented landscapes (Ford et al.
2001).
6
Proteaceous-rich plant communities, relied on by Carnaby's Cockatoo for forage in higher
rainfall areas, are under significant threat from plant deaths due to Phytophthora dieback
(Phytophthora cinnamomi). Heathlands rich with flowering species are converted to open low
sedgelands (Grant and Barrett 2003) and Banksia woodlands on the Bassendean Dune System
have seen a reduction in dominant Banksia species and overall species richness and biomass due
to Phytophthora dieback (Cahill et al. 2008). The ongoing infestation of dieback affects the
jarrah forest at the regional scale by altering vegetation composition (Garkaklis et al. 2004).
The breeding habitat of Carnaby's Cockatoo has also been extensively cleared (Saunders 1990),
with hollow-bearing trees suitable for nesting now almost entirely located in remnant patches of
woodland (Saunders and Ingram 1998). There is thought to be a shortage of trees providing
hollows for nesting (Saunders 1979b; Saunders and Ingram 1998), and the lack of natural
regeneration and competition for hollows will lead to further shortage in the future. Hollow-
bearing trees may be lost to processes such as fire, tree-fall or the natural collapse of the branch
or hollow (Cale 2003; Garnett and Crowley 2000; Saunders 1979b; Saunders and Ingram 1998;
Saunders et al.1985). The lack of sufficient foraging vegetation in close proximity to nesting
sites results in some areas being unusable for breeding. Destruction of hollows or trees due to
nest robbing for avicultural trade renders some hollows unsuitable for nesting. For example,
holes may be cut into nesting hollows, or trees cut down, to obtain eggs or nestlings (Cale 2003;
Garnett and Crowley 2000; Saunders 1979b). The combined effect of all of these processes is
that hollows suitable for nesting are being destroyed more quickly than they are being created
(Saunders 1979b).
Habitat degradation
In the wheatbelt, remnant native vegetation is threatened by various factors. Clearing exposes
patches of remnant vegetation to invasion by weeds and other processes that will degrade the
habitat. For example, at Coomallo Creek, the remaining woodland is concentrated into long,
narrow patches, a configuration that has allowed extensive invasion by weeds at the habitat
margins (Saunders and Ingram 1998). Salinity (Mawson and Johnstone 1997; Snyder et al.
2000) has the potential to adversely affect 61,000 km² of land, including much of the remaining
habitat of Carnaby's Cockatoo (Saunders and Ingram 1995; Snyder et al. 2000).
Other threats
Direct causes of mortality include illegal poaching (Mawson 1997; Saunders et al.1985),
predation, collisions with vehicles, and illegal shooting (Pittman et. al. 2007). Breeding failures
result from interference by other species (Saunders 1982), and excessive human disturbance can
cause female cockatoos to desert the nest or damage their eggs (Saunders 1982).
Carnaby's Cockatoo is a long-lived species (Higgins 1999; Saunders and Ingram 1998) that does
not breed until at least four years of age (Saunders 1982, 1986), has an estimated generation
time of 15 years (Cale 2003; Garnett and Crowley 2000) and has low fecundity (Saunders
1982). These characteristics limit the potential of the species to sustain numbers or to recover in
the presence or aftermath of a threatening process.
7
The Great Cocky Count
In 2006, BirdLife Australia (formerly known as Birds Australia) organised an initial Great
Cocky Count (2006 GCC). This was a community-based survey aimed at trialling methods to
describe the relative abundance of Carnaby’s Cockatoo and provide an estimate of minimum
population of White-tailed Black-Cockatoos in the Greater Perth Region (Shah 2006). An
important learning from the 2006 GCC survey was the value of counting birds as they flew into
their roosts as a means of monitoring population size. The count also suggested that there was a
minimum population of 4,510 Carnaby's Cockatoos in the northern Greater Perth Region (Shah
2006).
BirdLife Australia in association with the Department of Environment and Conservation,
conducted the second Great Cocky Count on the 7th
of April 2010. This survey was designed as
an extension to the baseline data provided by Shah (2006) in order to compare the two surveys.
The 2010 GCC involved an extensive review of roost locations in which known roost
information was collated and new or unconfirmed roosts were identified throughout the DEC
Swan Region (Figure 3). During the 2010 GCC, community volunteers were asked to identify
previously unrecorded roosts in the lead-up to the GCC. Observers were assigned to roost sites
throughout the study area to perform a snapshot survey of as many birds as possible on the night
of the GCC, following the GCC protocol (see Methods).
A synchronised snapshot survey is a technique where multiple roost sites are surveyed
simultaneously. This technique reduces the possibility of counting the same individual bird
twice, providing a more accurate estimate of the population. Roost identification and surveys
allow distribution mapping of Carnaby’s Cockatoo in the areas targeted.
Aims of the 2011 Great Cocky Count
Broadly, the aim of the 2011 Great Cocky Count survey was to identify roost sites utilised by
Carnaby’s Cockatoo across the species’ range, to count the number of cockatoos using these
roosts, and to estimate the number of Carnaby’s Cockatoos in the DEC Swan Region.
Specific aims were to:
1) increase knowledge about the location of roost sites;
2) further develop an ongoing community based monitoring program to track changes in roost
site utilisation and Carnaby’s Cockatoo population numbers; and
3) begin the process of expanding the survey of roost sites throughout the non-breeding range of
the species outside the DEC Swan Region.
8
Methods
Locating roost sites
As a result of the 2006 and 2010 GCCs, 222 confirmed roosts, unconfirmed roosts and potential
sites were collated (Shah 2006; Burnham et al. 2010).
After the 2010 GCC, new records of roosting activity were identified by a review of existing
knowledge, reports from BirdLife Australia volunteers and staff, DEC staff, and from
individuals in the community. The number of confirmed and unconfirmed roosts was revised as
part of the 2011 GCC. The majority of roost sites surveyed in 2011 GCC were identified during
the 2010 GCC.
On the night of the 2011 GCC, it was a priority to cover all known or potential roosts. The sites
surveyed are shown in FIGURE 2, and full location details are provided in Appendix 1.
Volunteer recruitment
While 350 volunteers had registered an interest in the 2010 GCC, not all volunteers were
available again in 2011. In addition, with the expansion of the 2011 GCC survey area,
recruitment of volunteers based in regional south-western WA was essential. Therefore,
significant media publicity was required to engage volunteers and raise public awareness
throughout the south-west.
Information and requests for volunteers were circulated through BirdLife Australia’s networks,
electronic newsletters, and education and community groups (e.g. regional and local bird
groups, museum groups and ‘Friends Of’ groups), as well as advertised on the organisation’s
website. Media releases and articles were distributed to metropolitan and regional papers,
community newsletters and radio stations. These activities generated at least ten newspaper
articles, five radio interviews and three post-2011 GCC presentations to various groups.
Volunteers from the 2006 GCC and 2010 GCC survey were each contacted personally, via
email and/or phone. For examples of volunteer contact see Appendix 5.
The most successful method for recruiting volunteers was one-on-one phone conversations with
people who expressed an interest in the project. During these conversations, the aims of the
study and the survey procedures were explained. Sites were assigned after assessing an
individual’s abilities and requirements. Confirmed roosts were preferentially assigned over
unconfirmed roosts and previously surveyed potential roosts with zero counts.
To ensure safety and improve the quality of the count data, all volunteers were requested to
work with at least one other person. Volunteers were encouraged to work together to make sure
the roost site was comprehensively surveyed, and special care was taken to ensure there was no
replication of data. Each volunteer was required to submit a signed Occupational Health and
Safety volunteer registration form (see Appendix 6).
9
FIGURE 2: Location of 248 sites assigned to be surveyed during the 2011 Great Cocky Count,
identifying 185 sites surveyed (including locations of new sites) and 64 sites not surveyed.
10
The GCC survey protocol
In 2010, the GCC roost survey protocol was adapted from the method originally developed by
Johnstone and Kirkby (pers. comm., WA Museum), outlined and trialled by Shah (2006), and
refined by Berry (2008). Surveying birds at roosts is recognised internationally as a method for
monitoring population trends (Matuzak and Brightsmith 2007). Roost surveys were determined
to be an effective means for monitoring population trends and estimating overall population size
of Carnaby’s Cockatoo. Shah (2006) evaluated area searches, roost counts and transect surveys
as a means to estimate population size. It was determined that a coordinated snapshot survey of
as many roosts as possible would minimise double counting and provide the added benefit of
identifying highly significant habitat (Shah 2006). Data were recorded using the Berry (2008)
protocol, where the number of birds in small groups was recorded as a stream of numbers, a
method that also permitted an a priori analysis of breeding success.
Count protocol
Prior to the night of the 2011 GCC, each volunteer was sent an official survey form (including a
completed example form, Appendix 4), detailed information about the location of their site
(including maps), guidelines on how to enter data into the online Citizen Science portal, and
‘The Etiquette of Bird Watching’ document produced by BirdLife Australia (see Appendix 6).
Volunteers were asked to:
• Visit their roost site before the night of the GCC to familiarise themselves with the layout of
the roost, and get an idea of how many birds to expect and the direction from which they were
likely to arrive.
• Arrive on the night of the GCC at their allocated roost site at least half an hour before sunset
so that the birds could be located (in case they had shifted to a nearby site).
• Count birds from half an hour before sunset until half an hour after sunset, and record start and
finish times.
• Count flying birds as they approached the roost site (counts of birds already in trees are
generally unreliable).
Use the technique of drawing an imaginary line across the sky and counting the
groups of birds as they cross the line.
• Where possible, record the number of birds in each group (e.g. pairs and triplets) as they
crossed the count line (for analysis of breeding structure).
For large flocks, volunteers were asked to consider estimating how big a group of
five or 10 birds looked and use this as a guide for estimating the size of the whole
group (for example, if the group of 10 birds fitted into the flock four times, there
were 40 birds in the larger flock).
• Record the main roost tree type (pine, eucalypt, marri etc) if known. This information was
only included in the roost habitat analysis for this report if birds were actually seen roosting in
the recorded species/genera of roost trees.
11
• If possible, confirm GPS coordinates for the site using a hand held GPS.
• Note any behaviours and the direction from which the birds flew into the roost.
Counts that significantly deviated from the above protocols were not included as part of the
GCC data set. Deviations included: birds being counted on nights other than the five designated
survey nights; counts of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos; counts at watering points rather than
roosts; and counts of birds flying overhead that did not settle at the roost.
Region description
The DEC Swan Region intersects and contains part of each of two bioregions, the Swan Coastal
Plain and Jarrah Forest bioregions. For the purposes of the Great Cocky Count, the DEC Swan
Region is divided into five geographic areas (Figure 3). The Jarrah Forest and Darling Scarp
area is referred to as the Darling Plateau. The Swan Coastal Plain is divided into 4 areas: the
Northern Swan Coastal Plain (which includes the Dandaragan Plateau and areas of the coastal
plain including Gnangara and Yanchep), the Northern suburbs (area immediately north of the
Swan River), Southern suburbs (area immediately south of the Swan River), and the Southern
peri-urban and Peel Region.
Analysis methodology
Population counts
All cockatoos counted from roosts on the Swan Coastal Plain were assumed to be Carnaby’s
Cockatoos. The Darling Plateau (Figure 3) is a region reported to contain mixed flocks of
Carnaby’s and Baudin’s Cockatoos with approximately 20% of each roosting flock estimated as
being Carnaby’s Cockatoo and the remaining 80% estimated as Baudin’s Cockatoo (pers.
comm., R. Johnstone, WA Museum). For the purposes of the analysis, only 20% of the birds
recorded from the Darling Plateau were assumed to be Carnaby’s Cockatoo in both the 2010
and 2011 GCCs. Thus, the application of a 0.2 x a priori correction factor was applied to the
total counts recorded within the Darling Plateau to provide an estimate of the population of
Carnaby’s Cockatoo.
Statistical analyses were performed using R and StatistiXL™. Normality and homogeneity of
variance assumptions were assessed by examining histograms and the skewness and kurtosis for
each of the dependent variables. All data points were included in the analysis. For all analyses
performed in this study, p ≤ 0.05 was considered to be significant.
Population changes 2010 to 2011
A comparison between the roost sites surveyed during the 2010 and 2011 GCCs may provide an
indication of emerging population trends between the two years. Matching of the roosts
removes geographic inequality of sites. ANOVA was used to determine if there were any
significant differences in total population numbers between 2010 and 2011, with year being the
treatment and number of roosting birds counted being the dependent factor. Tukey’s HSD post
hoc tests were applied to determine where the differences occurred between treatments.
Analyses included a comparison of:
65 roosts surveyed in both the 2010 and 2011 GCC (highlighted in Appendix 1),
analysing all surveys regardless of whether birds were present or absent;
12
the mean number of birds (± standard error) at all roosts in 2010 compared with
2011, excluding roosts with no birds; and
the total number of birds counted between the 2010 GCC and 2011 GCC.
Due to the changes in survey methodology from the 2006 GCC to the 2010 and 2011 GCCs,
comparison of population changes cannot be made against the 2006 GCC data.
Chi-squared was used to determine if there were any significant differences in total counts
between four follow-up surveys in 2010 and 2011. We also compared the mean number of birds
per roost (± standard error, positive counts only) between the 2010 and 2011 GCCs. Counts
from 2010 were used as the expected values.
Population predicted estimates in DEC Swan Region (population modelling)
It can be assumed that birds will have been missed during counts, not all roost sites will have
been surveyed, and the wet weather on the night of the 2011 GCC survey will have affected the
count of roosting birds. We also accept that site coverage and roost identification have a direct
correlation to human population presence. As such, it is likely that we have underestimated the
total population of Carnaby’s Cockatoo in the DEC Swan Region. In order to compensate for
this, population modelling based on potential feeding habitat was performed.
Population models were constructed using 58 positive Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost counts
obtained during the 2011 GCC. The models regressed actual counts of birds against the area
(hectares) of potential feeding habitat within three, six and 12km of each roost site. Potential
feeding habitat consisted of Jarrah, Banksia and Pine vegetation as defined in the DEC
corporate GIS layers, generated through the Carnaby’s Cockatoo critical habitat mapping
project (Glossop et al. 2011). The 12km buffer zone was suggested by Saunders (1980) as the
minimum area of wheatbelt foraging habitat needed to support breeding birds. The three and six
kilometre buffer zones were based on behavioural observations and ‘flock follows’ of roosting
birds (pers. comm., H. Finn, Murdoch University, and C. Sanders, DEC unpublished data).
The mean of five linear regression models based on the geographic subregions (Figure 3) was
used to construct a single mean model for each buffer zone (three, six or 12km) of potential
feeding habitat. These regressions provided an estimated density of roosting birds per unit of
potential feeding habitat (hectares) within each buffer zone (Cowley et al. 2000; Norris et al.
2011). The resulting models allow habitat-based predictions of roosting bird density for each
buffer zone. Using the relative extent of potential feeding habitat within each buffer zone across
the DEC Swan Region and the calculated density of roosting birds, it was possible to estimate
the population of Carnaby’s Cockatoo for the whole DEC Swan Region.
Only the most predictive model (highest R2
value) was used in further population estimates. The
significance of the regression coefficient was tested using the Wald test (Austin et al. 1996).
The predictive ability of the best fit model was ground-truthed by comparing the model
predictions of the estimated Carnaby’s Cockatoo population to actual counts of birds within
each geographic subregion, and determining an error ratio.
As noted previously, mixed flocks are assumed in the Darling Plateau at a ratio of 20%
Carnaby’s Cockatoos to 80% Baudin’s Cockatoos. Other difficulties posed by the Darling
Plateau surveys included large differences in the amount of potential feeding habitat, low
survey numbers, and low count density (small numbers of birds counted in a much larger area).
13
FIGURE 3: Geographic areas within the DEC Swan Region and sites surveyed within
this region in the 2011 GCC.
14
In order to compensate for the 20% mixed flock composition in the Darling Plateau, this
location was separately a priori ground-truthed incorporating the correction factor (0.2) into the
best-fit predictive model. The resulting outputs of the two models were summed in order to
obtain a corrected total population estimate for the DEC Swan Region.
Models that use feeding habitat to predict the density of roosting birds have the potential for
non-causative spatial autocorrelations (Cowley et al. 2000), which could lead to an over-
estimation of population. This method also had an inherent error (type 1) of over-estimating
population due to our assumption of a homogenous quality of feeding habitat across the spatial
distribution of the roost sites, and an assumption that all feeding habitats have a similar carrying
capacity. In this context, it was considered likely that throughout the range of Carnaby’s
Cockatoo, for any given year, there would be a 60% heterogeneity of habitat quality (pers.
comm., B. Wilson, DEC). In other words, we assumed that only 60% of the potential feeding
habitat would be of sufficient quality to support Carnaby’s Cockatoo. As such, the final
population estimates of Carnaby’s Cockatoos in the DEC Swan Region are presented as a range
from the corrected value of 60% feeding habitat heterogeneity, though to 100% homogeneity of
feeding habitat (the latter assumes that all feeding habitat is productive).
Population changes from 2006 to 2010 and 2011
Although a comparison between the sites surveyed during the 2006, 2010 and 2011 GCCs
theoretically provides a further estimate of the population trends over this extended period of
time, there was a significant change in surveying protocols between the 2006 GCC and the
2010/2011 GCCs that compromises any robust analysis of trends over the longer period.
The exact dimensions of a given Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost can shift over time, both within
season and between seasons (G. Barrett, unpublished data). It is now clear that each of the 16
roost sites reported in Shah (2006) is comprised of what we now consider multiple, not
individual roosts.
The locations of the 16 roosts identified in the 2006 GCC were not recorded by GPS but using
landmarks, and the definition of ‘roost’ was broader than the 2010 and 2011 GCC definition.
The 16 roosts surveyed in 2006 have now been amalgamated into 10 super roost locations. An
individual super roost incorporated all 2010 GCC roosts that lay within 4km of the 2006 roost
location, resulting in 50 roost sites within the 10 super roosts (see Burnham et al. 2010 for
details of 2010 GCC roosts, and Appendix 2 for details of comparison). This technique was
repeated in the GCC 2011. Data are presented as uncorrected, unprojected data for a series of 10
super roosts and compared with the 2010 GCC and 2011 GCC counts. ANOVA was used to
determine if there were any significant differences in super roost count numbers between the
2010 and 2011 GCCs, with year being the treatment and count of roosting birds being the
dependent factor. Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests were applied to determine where the differences
occurred between treatments.
Roost utilisation
A roost utilisation analysis was performed and a density histogram constructed to show the
variation and variability in the use of roosts. These data also allow some ecological assumptions
to be made about Carnaby’s Cockatoo. A comparison between the 2010 and 2011 GCCs is
15
presented graphically but as there are different roosts represented between years, and a
substantially larger area being covered during the 2011 GCC, no statistical analysis could be
done between years. Frequency analysis was performed using the 2010 and 2011 GCC data in
order to identify mean roost size.
Roost utilisation for n = 64 roosts (covered by 185 surveys in the 2011 GCC) and n = 50 roosts
(covered by 190 surveys in the 2010 GCC) was analysed using all the survey data from the
2010 and 2011 GCCs. The mean numbers of birds utilising roosts in each year were calculated
(± standard error). ANOVA was used to determine if there was any significant difference in the
number of roosts that had birds present between areas within the DEC Swan Region (Figure 3),
and between the 2010 GCC and 2011 GCC counts (region being the treatment and presence of
birds at the roost being the dependent factor). ANOVA was also used to determine if there was
any difference in the number of roosts that had birds present between years (2010 to 2011, with
year being the treatment and presence being the dependent factor). Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests
were applied to determine where the differences occurred between treatments.
Breeding success
Carnaby’s Cockatoos often fly into a roost as pairs, triplets or single birds which can be
discerned by observing birds as they fly across the sky. We adopted Johnstone and Kirby’s
(pers. comm., WA Museum) proposition that a pair of birds represents an adult male and female
(a mated pair), and a group of three birds (triplet) represents a mated pair with this year’s
fledgling or the fledgling from the previous year. Berry (2008) suggested that by recording the
number of sub-groups as triplets, pairs or singles as they fly into the roost, we would be able to
model the breeding recruitment pattern. We used this Berry (2008) recruitment model to
examine the ratio of triplets to pairs as a potential index of breeding.
16
Results
Volunteer recruitment and survey return
Five-hundred and sixty-one (561) volunteers registered their interest in the project in 2011
(TABLE 2). Of these, 263 volunteers were assigned to 248 sites in the 2011 GCC (15 sites were
each covered by two sets of volunteers). Out of the pool of 2010 GCC volunteers, 68% were
willing to participate again in 2011, making up 35% of total 2011 GCC volunteers. The
remaining 65% of active 2011 GCC volunteers were new to the project.
Two hundred and two (202) surveys were returned from volunteers, including 17 duplicated site
surveys, bringing the total number of sites surveyed to 185. Nineteen (19) of these sites were
outside the DEC Swan Region. Appendix 1 includes details of all sites in the database,
including roost counts completed as part of the 2011 GCC.
TABLE 2: 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky Count volunteer and survey summary.
2010 2011
Number of volunteers on
database
350 561
Number of active volunteers
assigned to roosts for GCC
250 263
Number of roosts assigned to
be surveyed
unknown 248
Number of roost surveys
returned
190
185
17
Locating roost sites
In the lead-up to the 2011 GCC, 101 new sites were identified throughout the range of the
Carnaby’s Cockatoo (TABLE 3). This resulted in a total of 323 sites identified throughout
south-west Western Australia (from Geraldton, south to Albany and east to Esperance).
TABLE 3: Number of Carnaby’s Cockatoo confirmed roosts*, unconfirmed roosts* and
potential sites*, for Great Cocky Count on 7th
April 2011.
2010
(DEC Swan Region)
2011
(Across entire range)
Total number of confirmed
roosts on database
Not defined 123
Unconfirmed roost sites on
database
Not defined 165
Total number of potential
roosts on database
Not defined 35
Total number of confirmed
roosts, unconfirmed roosts,
and potential sites on
database
222
323
* See Key Terms and Concepts for definitions (page v)
Population changes between the 2010 and 2011 GCCs
There was an estimated decline of approximately 37% of roosting birds counted in the DEC
Swan Region between the 2010 and 2011 GCCs, with a total of 6,672 birds counted in 2010 and
4,222 in the 2011 GCC. The estimated decline of roosting birds counted in the Greater Perth
Region (DEC Swan Region without the Darling Plateau) was approximately 34%, with 6,282
counted in 2010 and 4,143 in 2011 (TABLE 4). There was a significant decrease in the total
number of Carnaby’s Cockatoos counted in the 2011 GCC compared with the 2010 GCC
(ANOVA, F = 10.181,78, p = 0.002, TABLE 4) at 79 confirmed roosts across the Greater Perth
Region. There was also a significant difference between the 2010 and 2011 GCCs in the count
of birds in the DEC Swan Region at 108 confirmed roosts (ANOVA, F = 11.781,107, p < 0.01,
TABLE 4). A Tukey’s HSD post hoc test has shown that the significance lay between all test
factors.
The Darling Plateau roost counts were almost 80% lower in 2011 than in the 2010 GCC
(TABLE 4).
There was a 40% decline in the total number of birds counted across the 65 matched roosts from
5,058 in 2010 to 3,038 in the 2011 GCC (ANOVA, F = 0.041,64, p < 0.01, TABLE 4).
18
TABLE 4: Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost count summary for 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky Counts*.
2010 2011
Number of Carnaby’s
Cockatoos counted outside
DEC Swan Region (south
coast and wheatbelt)
Area not surveyed 430
Number of birds counted
across 65 matched roosts
within the DEC Swan Region
(includes nil counts)
5,058 3,038
40% estimated decline in roosting birds counted across 65
matched roosts within DEC Swan Region
Estimated number of birds
counted across Darling
Plateau sites (assuming 20%
of total were Carnaby’s
Cockatoo)
390 (total count = 1,949)
(n =15 roosts)
79 (total count = 395)
(n =14 roosts)
80% estimated decline in roosting birds in Darling Plateau
region
Number of birds counted in
the Greater Perth Region
(excluding Darling Plateau)
6,282 4,143
34% estimated decline in roosting birds in the Greater
Perth Region
Estimated number of birds
counted in DEC Swan
Region (including Darling
Plateau)
6,672 4,222
37% estimated decline of birds in DEC Swan Region
Total number of birds counted
during GCC
(Carnaby’s Cockatoo and
Baudin’s Cockatoo)
8,231
(Across DEC Swan Region,
n = 50 roost sites)
4,968
(Across entire range of
Carnaby’s Cockatoo from
Geraldton to Esperance,
n = 64 roost sites) * see Key Terms and Concepts (page v) and Figure 3 for region descriptions and locations
The number of birds counted in the DEC Swan Region during the 2011 GCC was highest in the
Northern Swan Coastal Plain and Southern suburbs, with the Darling Plateau having the lowest
number (TABLE 5). New sites located outside the 2010 GCC study area (i.e. outside the Swan
Coastal Plain) recorded 350 birds at five roosts along the south coast, and 80 birds at a single
roost in the wheatbelt (TABLE 5).
Only 64 sites out of all 123 confirmed roost sites had birds in them on the night of the 2011
GCC. This equates to a 35% occupancy rate of the 185 surveyed sites (TABLE 6). Sixteen
roosts had positive counts in the 2010 GCC (ranging from one to 700 birds) but had no (nil)
birds during the 2011 GCC (TABLE 6). Conversely, there were 11 roosts that had no birds
reported during the 2010 GCC but had birds in 2011 GCC (ranging from three to 230 birds).
During the 2010 GCC, the mean number of birds per roost was 165 ± 26 s.e. birds (n = 50),
compared with only 78 ± 12 s.e. birds per roost (n = 64) in the 2011 GCC, a decline of 53%
(ANOVA, F = 6.981,113, P = 0.03; TABLE 6).
19
TABLE 5: Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost summary for 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky Counts.
Area within
DEC Swan
Region*
Total
roosts
with birds
Total
Carnaby’s
Cockatoos
counted
Carnaby’s
Cockatoos per
roost
(mean ± s.e., nil
counts excluded)
Highest
count at a
roost
Percent
change in
Carnaby’s
Cockatoos
counted
from 2010 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011
Darling Plateau
(estimated 20%
are Carnaby’s
Cockatoos)
15 14 390
(20% of
1,949)
79 (20%
of
395)
26
(± 7)
6
(± 2)
89 (20%
of 443)
17 (20%
of 86) 80%↓
Northern Swan
Coastal Plain 10 13 2,437 1,547
244
(± 61)
119 (±
35) 542 378 37%↓
Northern
suburbs 6 9 1,080 819
180
(± 89)
91
(± 23) 604 230 24%↓
Southern
suburbs 11 16 2,245 1,392
204
(± 70)
87
(± 31) 700 473 38%↓
Southern peri-
urban and Peel
Region
8 6 520 385 65
(± 23)
64
(± 25) 167 155 26%↓
South coast -- 5 -- 350 -- 70
(± 37) -- 196
Wheatbelt -- 1 -- 80 -- 80 -- 80
Total 50 64 6,672 4,652
* See Key Terms and Concepts (page v) and Figure 3 for region descriptions and locations
TABLE 6: Carnaby’s Cockatoo roost utilisation during the 2010 and 2011 Great Cocky
Counts.
2010 2011
Roosts occupied during the
GCC
50 roosts of 190 sites
surveyed (26% occupancy)
64 roosts of 185 sites
surveyed (35% occupancy)
Mean number of birds per
roost site (excluding 0 count
sites)
165 ± 26 s.e. birds per roost
(n = 50 roosts)
78 ± 12 s.e. birds per roost
(n = 64 roosts)
Sites recording nil (0) birds in
2010 GCC that had a positive
presence in 2011 GCC
-- 11 of 64 sites
(range 3 - 230 birds in 2011)
Sites recording a positive
presence in 2010 GCC with
nil (0) count in 2011 GCC
-- 16 of 50 sites
(range 3 - 700 birds in 2010)
20
Follow-up surveys
One month after the 2010 GCC (TABLE 7: follow-up survey no. 1 on the 8th
May 2010), a total
of 1,815 Carnaby’s Cockatoos were counted across 38 survey sites. This compares with 1,176
birds counted across 33 survey sites one month after the 2011 GCC on 7th
May 2011. There
were more roosts with birds during the 2011 GCC follow-up survey no.1 (13 occupied roosts)
than during the 2010 GCC follow-up survey no.1 (10 occupied roosts). However, the mean
number of birds per roost was higher in 2010 (182 ± 54 s.e. birds per roost) compared with 2011
(91 ± 24 s.e.).
Follow-up survey no. 2 in June (TABLE 7) showed a similar pattern, with a total of 1,481
Carnaby’s Cockatoos counted across 19 survey sites in the 2010 GCC follow-up survey (6
occupied roosts), compared with 961 birds counted across 39 survey sites (10 occupied roosts)
during the 2011 GCC follow-up survey. Again, although there were a greater number of roosts
with birds in 2011, there were more birds per roost in 2010 than in 2011 (247 ± 112 s.e. birds
per roost during 2010 GCC follow-up survey no. 2, compared to 96 ± 34 s.e. birds per roost in
2011 GCC follow-up survey no.2).
Follow-up survey no. 3 in July showed a different pattern. A total of 809 Carnaby’s Cockatoos
were counted across 36 survey sites in the 2010 GCC follow-up survey (9 occupied roosts),
compared with 1050 birds counted across 24 survey sites (8 occupied roosts) during the 2011
GCC follow-up survey (TABLE 7). There were more birds per roost during the 2011 GCC
follow-up survey no.3 with 131 ± 45 s.e. birds per roost, compared with 90 ± 37 s.e. birds per
roost in the 2010 GCC follow-up survey.
Follow-up survey no. 4 in August showed a similar pattern to follow-up surveys no. 1 and no. 2.
A total of 542 Carnaby’s Cockatoos were counted across 27 sites in the 2010 GCC follow-up
survey (10 occupied roosts), compared with 360 birds counted across 24 survey sites (8
occupied roosts) during the 2011 GCC follow-up survey (TABLE 7). There were more birds per
roost during the 2010 GCC follow-up survey no.4 (54 ± 24 s.e. birds per roost), compared with
45 ± 16 s.e. birds per roost in the 2011 GCC follow-up survey.
Chi squared analysis (chi-squared statistic = 540.46, df = 3, p = 0.0001) showed that there was a
significant difference in the total counts between the 2010 and 2011 GCC follow-up surveys
(TABLE 7). Visual inspection of individual chi-squared statistics showed that all groupings
were significantly different from their month-matched cohort. It was also shown that there was
a significant difference (chi-squared statistic = 158.30, df = 3, P = 0.0001) between the mean
number of birds at each roost between the 2010 GCC to 2011 GCC follow-up surveys.
Individual chi-squared statistics showed that May, June and July were significantly different
from their month-matched cohort. This represents a mean 19% decline in population from 2010
to 2011, and a mean 21% decrease in the number of birds per roost from 2010 to 2011.
21
TABLE 7: Summary of counts of roosting Carnaby’s Cockatoos for GCC follow-up surveys in
2010 and 2011.
GCC
follow-
up
survey
number
Date Number
of
surveys
Total
roosts
with
birds
Total
Carnaby’s
Cockatoos
counted
Percent
change
no. of
birds
Mean
no. of birds
per roost
(±s.e.; nil
counts
excluded)
Percent
change in
mean no.
per roost
1 2010 08/05/2010 38 10 1,815
35% ↓ 182 ± 54
50% ↓ 2011 07/05/2011 33 13 1,176 91 ± 24
2 2010 20/06/2010 19 6 1,481
35% ↓ 247 ± 112
61% ↓ 2011 05/06/2011 39 10 961 96 ± 34
3 2010 10/07/2010 36 9 809
30% ↑ 90 ± 37
46% ↑ 2011 09/07/2011 24 8 1,050 131 ± 45
4 2010 15/08/2010 27 10 542
34% ↓ 54 ± 24
17% ↓ 2011 07/08/2011 24 8 360 45 ± 16
Population predicted estimates in DEC Swan Region (population modelling)
Analysis of three generalised linear models (ha of feeding habitat within 3, 6 and 12 km buffer
zones) based on data from 58 roosts within the DEC Swan Region showed that the best fit
model was based on the 6km buffer zone (R2 = 0.643; Tables 8 and 9). Models based on the
3km and 12km buffers had less good fits (R2 = 0.278 and 0.122, respectively). Visual inspection
of plot maps suggests that 6km buffer zones incorporated the majority of remnant vegetation,
Bush Forever sites and feeding sites. Comparison of predicted number of roosting birds using
the best fit model (6km buffer zone) with actual counts of roosting birds showed a error of
8.53% for the Greater Perth Region (TABLE 10, Appendix 3).
The potential feeding habitat model, based on the amount of feeding habitat within 6km of the
roost, suggests that during the 2011 GCC there were between 5,177 and 8,629 Carnaby’s
Cockatoos throughout the DEC Swan Region (TABLE 10). A maximum population of 5,392
roosting birds in the Greater Perth Region and 3,237 roosting birds on the Darling Plateau was
predicted.
22
TABLE 8: Mean population density of roosting Carnaby’s Cockatoos within each of the areas
within the DEC Swan Region predicted using the potential feeding habitat (ha) within a 6 km
buffer zone around each roost site.
Region (DEC Swan
Region only)*
Hectares of occupied
potential feeding
habitat (ha)
2011 GCC count of
total number of
roosting Carnaby’s
Cockatoo
Hectares of potential
feeding habitat per
roosting Carnaby’s
Cockatoo
Darling Plateau 90,564.17 79 (corrected) 1146.38
Northern Swan
Coastal Plain 36,341.42 1,547 23.49
Northern suburbs 15,482.22 819 18.90
Southern suburbs 18,801.35 385 48.83
Southern peri-urban
/ Peel Planning
Region
21,502.67 1,392 15.44
Total area of buffer
zones (excluding
Darling Plateau)
182,691.82 4,143 26.67
* See Key Terms and Concepts (page v) and Figure 3 for region descriptions and locations
TABLE 9: The three linear regression models generated for estimating population size within
the DEC Swan Region using hectare of potential feeding habitat (PFH) within 3, 6 and 12km
buffer zones, and the resulting probability (R2).*
Buffer zone (km) for
model comparison
Predicted maximum population of roosting
Carnaby’s Cockatoo model equation R
2
3 = 0.0557(PFH) + 63.044 0.278
6 = 0.0202(PFH) + 99.151 0.643
12 = 0.0005(PFH) + 74.637 0.122
* Each model was based on the mean of five linear regressions, one for each of the geographic subregions (Figure
3)
23
TABLE 10: Model estimates from linear regressions of overall population of Carnaby’s
Cockatoos roosting compared with actual counted populations in the DEC Swan Region.
Predicted
maximum
population
model equation
R2
Roost
population
counted
Predicted
population
roost area (ha)
Predicted population
based on total
PFH##
area2 (ha)
Greater Perth
Region***
=0.0202(PFH) +
99.151 0.643
4,143 3,789.56 5,392
% error = 8.53 @ 261,995.78 ha
Darling
Plateau (Jarrah
Forest)***
=(0.0202(PFH)
+ 99.151)*0.2 0.3378
79#
(corrected)
99.19#
(corrected) 3,237
# (corrected)
390
(uncorrected)
1928.58
(uncorrected) 16,187 (uncorrected)
% error = 2.6 (corrected) / 39.5
(uncorrected) @ 796,421.52 ha
DEC Swan
Region***
Predicted population of Carnaby’s
Cockatoo 5,177** - 8,629
N = 58 95% confidence interval = ± 402.55 #Corrected figures for Darling Plateau mean only 20% of counted birds were assumed to be Carnaby’s Cockatoo
**To correct for auto-correlation and type 1 errors, a 60% correction factor was applied to total population
prediction.
***See Key Terms and Concepts (page v) and Figure 3 for region descriptions and locations ##
PFH = Potential Feeding Habitat of Carnaby’s Cockatoo
Population changes between the 2006, 2010 and 2011 GCC
Super roosts, as defined in the 2011 GCC, are an amalgamation of 50 closely associated
roosting sites identified during the 2010 GCC survey into 10 super roost sites so as to allow
some comparison with the 2006 GCC (Appendix 2). There was a significant decrease (58%) in
the population of roosting Carnaby’s Cockatoos counted within the super roost subsets, from
3,184 birds in 2010 to 1,341 birds in 2011 (ANOVA: F = 5.601,18, P = 0.03, n = 10 super roosts).
Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests showed that the variation was predominately due to a decrease in
the Gnangara, Winthrop Park and Baldivis super roosts. These roosts have shown decreases of
90%, 76% and 100% respectively from 2010 to 2011. The Nedlands and Bentley super roosts
increased counts by 41% and 20%, respectively (see Appendix 2 for counts).
Due to a significant change in survey protocol, it is not possible to statistically analyse
population changes between the 2006 GCC and the 2010 and 2011 GCCs. However, visual
inspection of FIGURE 4 indicates that overall there is a declining trend in the number of
roosting birds in super roosts over the three survey years. It is acknowledged that the change in
survey protocol may be a possible cause of this trend.
24
FIGURE 4: Number of roosting birds at super roosts surveyed during the 2006, 2010 and 2011
GCCs.
Roost utilisation between 2010 and 2011
The four largest roosts in the 2011 GCC were Collier Park Golf Course in Bentley (R4, 473
birds), Granville Park in Gingin (DEC20, 378 birds), Regelia Rd-Dasypogon Rd in Gnangara
(HF13, 312 birds), and Yanchep National Park Volunteer Centre in Yanchep (WS3, 305 birds).
All roosts were located within the DEC Swan Region (Appendix 1).
There was no significant difference in the number of roosts that had birds present between years
(2010 and 2011, P = 0.6), with 50 occupied roosts (26% of the total sites surveyed) reported in
the 2010 GCC and 64 occupied roosts (35% of the total sites surveyed) reported in the 2011
GCC. Within the DEC Swan Region there was no significant difference between the proportion
of roosts occupied between the five geographic areas (P = 0.5; TABLE 5).
A frequency histogram of roost site utilisation shows that there has been a shift in the structure
of the roost sites (Figure 5) in 2011. In 2010, there was a bimodal Gaussian distribution of roost
utilisation with two distinct peaks; the first peak at approximately 30 birds per roost and the
second peak occurring within the range of 260 to 410 birds per roost. Each curve was followed
by an elongated tail. In contrast, in 2011 there was a non-uniform distribution, with a single
peak of approximately 10 birds per roost site, leading into a protracted right-shifted tail with no
secondary peak.
25
There was a substantial shift in roost utilisation between 2010 and 2011. The number of roosts
that had 151 to 500 birds in 2010 was reduced by 42%, and there were no roosts that had more
than 500 birds in 2011. In 2011 there was a 66% increase in the number of roosts that had 150
or fewer birds utilising them and two distinct sizes of roosts are apparent: roosts with fewer than
90 birds (small roost) and roosts with more than 90 birds (large roost).
FIGURE 5: A frequency histogram of roost utilisation comparing the 2010 and 2011 GCCs*. * The number of birds roosting at each site was grouped into bins of 10 with the end of the range listed on the x
axis (e.g. if between 1 and 10 birds were recorded, this is presented as 10 on the frequency histogram). Counts
greater than 200 birds were grouped into bins of 30 birds per roost.
Breeding success
In the 2010 GCC, the ratio of triplets to pairs recorded flying into the roosts was 1:3 (26%
triplets to 74% pairs; TABLE 11). In 2011, the ratio of triplets to pairs was 2:3 (40% triplets to
60% pairs; TABLE 11). This suggests an increase in the number of family groups (triplets)
observed in the 2011 GCC. A group of three birds is thought to represent a breeding pair with
their fledgling from that breeding season or the previous breeding season (pers. comm.,
Johnstone and Kirkby, WA Museum; Berry, 2008).
26
TABLE 11: The percent (%) of birds recorded flying as triplets, pairs and singles during the
2010 and 2011 GCC*.
* The total number of groups of triplets, pairs, or singles is presented. Counts are combined across all surveys and
roosts within each year.
2010 no.
of groups
2011 no.
of groups
2010 % of
triplets
and pairs
2011 % of
triplets
and pairs
2010 total
birds
2011 total
birds
Triplets 91 118 26% 40% 273 354
Pairs 263 177 74% 60% 526 354
Singles 175 43 -- -- 175 43
Total 529 339 -- -- 975 751
27
Discussion
The 2011 Great Cocky Count
The 2011 Great Cocky Count, carried out as a partnership between BirdLife Australia and DEC,
was a success with 323 confirmed roosts, unconfirmed roosts and potential sites identified, and
185 sites surveyed in a single night by 263 volunteers. The number of confirmed roosts in the
DEC Swan Region was increased to 123 as a direct consequence of this project. Note that a
confirmed roost is one in which Carnaby’s Cockatoos were recorded roosting using the formal
GCC survey protocols. Due to the publicity of the 2011 GCC, the public reported 101 new sites
across the entire range of Carnaby’s Cockatoo. This included six new confirmed roosts outside
the DEC Swan Region.
We can be confident that most of the current Perth metropolitan roost sites for Carnaby’s
Cockatoo have been identified and are included in this report. However, we cannot be confident
about having adequately covered the forested areas on the Darling Plateau and adjacent scarp,
the extensive pine plantations and banksia woodlands to the north (e.g. Gnangara) and south
(e.g. Baldivis) of the Greater Perth Region and to the north and east of Yanchep. There is also
the potential for Carnaby’s Cockatoo to utilise new roosts in the future. We will have missed the
vast majority of roost locations outside the DEC Swan Region throughout the remainder of the
Carnaby’s Cockatoo range, especially in the less populated regional areas.
Population changes between 2010 and 2011
Our roost utilisation results show that there is movement between roosts across and between
years. By targeting unconfirmed roosts and potential sites from the 2010 GCC, the 2011 GCC
surveys indicate that roosting Carnaby’s Cockatoos may currently be uncommon in some parts
of the Greater Perth Region.
The total number of Carnaby’s Cockatoos counted on the evening of the 2011 GCC showed a
34% decrease from the 2010 GCC total in the Greater Perth Region. This decrease is
substantiated when investigating a sub-set of 65 roosts that were counted during both 2010
GCC and 2011 GCC, which suggest a 40% reduction in the number of birds roosting in the
DEC Swan Region.
There were significant declines in both total count and mean number of birds found roosting
during the follow-up surveys which is consistent with the decline reported during the main 2011
GCC survey. There was a mean 19% decrease in total Carnaby’s Cockatoos counted in the 2011
follow-up surveys compared with 2010. The magnitude of the decline in population between the
2011 and 2010 follow-up surveys is smaller than the estimated decline between the main GCC
surveys (mean 37% decrease from three estimates). The mean number of birds per roost
recorded during the follow-up surveys decreased from 2010 to 2011 by a mean 21%, compared
to a 53% decrease observed between the main 2010 and 2011 GCC surveys. However, there
were smaller sample sizes for the follow-up surveys, yielding a larger standard error, as well as
a predisposition for volunteers to only survey roosts known to be occupied during previous
surveys.
28
Our model has predicted that during the 2011 GCC, there were between 5,177 and 8,629
Carnaby’s Cockatoos throughout the DEC Swan Region. Burnham et al. (2010) suggested an
estimated population between 8,000 to 10,000 birds for the Greater Perth Region and adjacent
escarpment. Our data suggest that the number of Carnaby’s Cockatoos observed at the surveyed
roost sites in the DEC Swan Region during the 2011 GCC declined by 37% from the 2010
estimate. Our data cannot provide evidence as to whether this is due to mortality or a change in
movement patterns. The decline in the number of birds using the Darling Plateau was even
greater than that observed on the adjacent coastal plain with a decline between 2010 GCC and
2011 GCC of 80%. The data suggest GCC roost counts provide a reasonably robust method of
assessing trends in population abundance of Carnaby’s Cockatoo.
Population changes between 2006 GCC, 2010 GCC and 2011 GCC
Burnham et al. (2010) suggested that there was a one-third (29%) reduction in the number of
birds using the ten super-roosts from Shah’s (2006) 2006 GCC to the 2010 GCC. Our study
found a 58% reduction in the number of birds using those super-roosts in 2011 compared with
2010. However, drawing specific conclusions from a comparison of data across the three
separate surveys is precarious due to the gap in time between the 2006 and 2010 GCCs and the
change in survey protocol between the two surveys. Regular annual GCC surveys are needed to
increase the reliability and comparability of the results and accurately identify population
trends.
Roost utilisation and population fragmentation
The change in roost utilisation suggests that there has been a change in flock structure from
2010, when 14 large flocks of more than 260 birds each and a number of smaller flocks were
recorded, to 2011 when there were only four flocks of more than 260 birds and a greatly
increased number of smaller flocks with 90 or fewer birds (Figure 5). This change in flock size
from 2010 to 2011 could indicate a decline in the carrying capacity of the feeding habitat near
the roosts, suggesting that the DEC Swan Region was less able to support large roosting flocks,
either because of the availability of food, water, roost trees or all three, in 2011. This GGC
project was not designed to collect data relating to this issue.
There were 27 roosts where birds were counted during either the 2010 or 2011 GCCs, but
recorded no (nil) birds during the respective time-matched survey. This suggests that roost
usage changes both across years and within years. The lesson to learn from these observations is
that unconfirmed roosts should not be dismissed as unimportant until sufficient surveys have
been completed within any year and across years.
Population fragmentation could lead to an increased risk of local extinctions. For example, on
22nd
March 2010 a hail storm event killed or severely injured 34 birds in Kings Park (Saunders
et al. 2011). At the time an estimated 200 birds were roosting in the area (Berry and Owen
2010a,b). The loss of these 34 birds removed just under twenty percent of the local population
in a single stochastic event. The average roost size recorded in the GCC 2010 was 165 birds,
and this decreased to 78 birds in the GCC 2011. Had the hailstorm or a similar stochastic event
occurred in 2011, and the same number of birds been killed, nearly half the average roost
population would have been lost. It should also be noted that the majority of roosts had fewer
than 40 birds during the 2011 GCC, thereby making localised extinction, due to stochastic
events, more probable if this trend for smaller roost flocks continues.
29
Most large roosts were confined to large areas of vegetation. Two of the largest roosts, Collier
Park Golf Course (R4 of the Bentley/Kensington super roost) and Hollywood Hospital (R3 of
the Nedlands super roost) are located in suburban areas, north and south of the Swan River.
Both include relatively large areas of pines retained after conversion of pine plantation to other
uses. It is worth noting that the super roost Yanchep 1 (FIGURE 4), a National Park, showed the
least variation between years. The Gnangara super roost, situated within a pine plantation and
adjacent to large areas of Banksia woodland, showed the greatest magnitude of change. The
reason for the decline at this roost is unclear; however, a significant portion of the Gnangara
pine trees have been removed since the 2010 surveys.
As a consequence of having so many speculative sites (35 unconfirmed roost sites and 165
potential sites) accepted into the 2011 GCC, only 35% (64 roosts) of the 185 sites surveyed
(Table 6) showed occupancy on the night of the 2011 GCC. The rest of the sites had no birds
recorded. Many of the previously confirmed roost sites (from 2006 or 2010) were unoccupied
on the night of the 2011 GCC, supporting the view that many roosts are not occupied all of the
time and that the number of birds using them will vary from day to day (Berry 2008; Finn et al.
2009; Berry and Owen 2010a,b). To illustrate this, a southern suburbs roost (R8) surveyed
during the 2011 GCC was visited for several days prior to and post the GCC. It was reported
that on the night of the GCC there were no Carnaby’s Cockatoos at the roost but the night prior
to and following the 2011 GCC there were over 60 birds present (pers. comm., C. Napier,
BirdLife Australia).
Breeding success
The ratio of birds recorded flying as triplets during the 2011 GCC was greater than the 2010
GCC (TABLE 11). If Berry’s (2008) recruitment model is correct, it suggests that recruitment
of young birds into the breeding population has increased between the 2010 and 2011 GCCs,
and there may still be a viable and healthy breeding population. However, it has been suggested
that if a fledglings dies, Carnaby’s Cockatoos resume care for the previous season’s young
(Saunders 1982). This would mean that the triplet counts contain an unknown number of two
year old birds, thereby decreasing our ability to accurately assess the recruitment and breeding
success from year to year. Instead this model may be useful for a long term recruitment index;
however, further research is required.
30
Conclusions
The 2010 GCC estimated the population of Carnaby’s Cockatoo to be between 8,000 - 10,000
birds in the DEC Swan Region (Burnham et al. 2010). The 2011 GCC count has estimated a
population of only 5,200 – 8,600 birds in the same area.
The GCC follow-up data support the decline in the number of Carnaby’s Cockatoo using the
surveyed roosts from 2010 and 2011. This lends weight to the conclusion that the decline in the
number of birds using monitored roosts identified by the 2011 GCC survey is an accurate
estimate, and not a single night deviation or a survey methodology error. However, it is not
possible to identify the cause of the decline from the survey data alone.
Many, if not all the threats to Carnaby’s Cockatoo, identified for example in the recovery plan
(Cale 2003), are still present. It has been suggested that due to climate change, south-western
Western Australia is likely to experience more very hot years with a continued decrease in
rainfall (CSIRO 2007). The prospect of increased frequency and severity of droughts in the
future (Hennessy et al. 2008) is likely to exacerbate this situation. It is also generally accepted
that these extreme weather patterns and events are on the increase (Williams et al. 2003) and
will continue to further impact this species (Saunders et al., 2011).
It is accepted that habitat destruction and decline are major threats to the survival of the
Carnaby's Cockatoo and at present, the loss of quality foraging habitat is thought to pose the
greatest risk to the species (Saunders and Ingram 1998). There has been a shift in food choices,
with the traditional elements of their diet being replaced, at least in part in some regions, by the
high energy seeds of introduced plantation pines (Cale 2003; Garnett and Crowley 2000).
Habitat destruction or decline may initially cause few extinctions, but the rate of extinction rises
over time (Pimm and Raven 2000). Thus habitat decline through clearing, drought and
Phytophthora dieback may result in an increasing rate of population decline.
Vegetation clearing has been ongoing in the DEC Swan Region since the 2010 GCC. Six large
roosts in the Gnangara pine plantation have been lost through plantation harvesting, and further
losses of roost habitat have occurred in plantations in the southern peri-urban region. The count
for the 2010 GCC at the Baldivis pine roost DEC14 was 574 birds, and the nearby R12 roost
had 346 birds. The harvesting of both roosts has resulted in the displacement of up to 1000
birds. Pine plantations continue to be harvested, particularly to the north of the DEC Swan
Region where 23,000 ha of the Gnangara pine forest are being cleared over the period from
2004 to 2029. This will lead to a further shortage of food for Carnaby's Cockatoo (Cale 2003;
Garnett and Crowley 2000; Valentine and Stock 2008).
The loss of roosts has not been solely the result of anthropomorphic causes. Drought has also
resulted in the death of many trees, and a decrease in seed and seedling production. There has
also been a reduction of available drinking water forcing the Carnaby’s Cockatoo population to
seek alternative water sources (Wilson 2009).
Our results suggest that in 2011 the habitat surrounding many of the roosts in the DEC Swan
Region was unable to support large roosts, resulting in a fragmentation of larger flocks into
small numbers. It is unclear at this point if the change is a permanent one or a result of the
severe drought conditions in 2010 (and previously in 2006). The decreasing quality and quantity
31
of feeding habitat, and the removal of corridors which facilitate foraging, can all cause a
decrease in foraging efficiency. This can force birds to forage for longer periods and over
greater areas to obtain sufficient food, which in turn can lead to a reduction in fitness, slowed
growth rates, diminished adult health and diminished nestling survival. It has been suggested
that a decrease in foraging efficiency has led to the decline and extinction of local breeding
populations of Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Cale 2003; Saunders 1977, 1980, 1982, 1986; Saunders
and Ingram 1987, 1998; Saunders et al. 1985). It is clear that we need continued surveys and
better research to gain a clearer understanding of the situation.
The flocking behaviour of the species can give the false impression that Carnaby’s Cockatoo is
not facing significant pressure. During the non-breeding season, it is not unusual to see flocks of
100 Black-Cockatoos flying noisily overhead in the densely populated Perth metropolitan area.
However, it was as little as 40 years ago that flocks would regularly include over a thousand
birds (Saunders 1974b), However, large flocks still occurred in the north where extensive
feeding habitat occurs as recently as 2008 (Johnstone et al. 2008). This report has shown a
decrease in the population of roosting Carnaby’s Cockatoos in the DEC Swan Region, our data
suggesting a decline of 37% in one year. Although we cannot conclusively say why, we do
know that the 2010-2011 year was a significant drought year with extreme weather events
including heatwaves and hailstorms. Roosts were cleared and feeding habitat in the DEC Swan
Region reduced. Long-term surveys are needed to assess if the decrease recorded in the 2011
GCC is the result of an unusual year when fewer birds visited the DEC Swan Region, or if we
are recording a decline in population.
The comparison between the GCCs of 2006, 2010 and 2011 highlights the need for and
importance of long-term monitoring for tracking population changes over time and relating
these trends to changes in habitat. The two annual counts where consistent survey protocols
were utilised (2010 and 2011 GCCs) have shown a disturbing population decline; this is further
supported by incorporating 2006 GCC data. Long-term comparisons, consisting of multiple
surveys held within seasons and between years, have the ability to distinguish trends and
possible causes. The volunteers have shown an ongoing commitment to the GCC, as well as
monthly follow-up surveys.
32
Management Recommendations
The data collected from the 2010 and 2011 GCCs have given us an insight into how Carnaby’s
Cockatoo utilises roosts. Carnaby’s Cockatoo appears to demonstrate variable roost fidelity,
with low roost fidelity for some sites. In other cases, the same roosts will be used in multiple
years. It is important that when assessing if a site is a roost, the survey takes into account a
number of factors. The roost must be surveyed for several contiguous nights and during
different times of the year, with survey effort concentrated in periods when the birds are likely
to be present. This requires local knowledge and further supports the importance of citizen
science. For example, Berry and Owen (2010a,b) has shown that at Hollywood Hospital (roost
code R3, Appendix 1), one of the DEC Swan Region’s biggest roosts, the number of birds
decreases from several hundred in April to nil in December. If this roost were to be surveyed
only in December, it would provide a false negative.
The substantial shift in roost utilisation towards birds roosting in smaller flocks suggests that
many of the existing roosts can no longer support larger numbers of birds, thereby causing a
substantial fragmentation in population. This fragmentation will have an impact on the ecology
and behaviour of Carnaby’s Cockatoo and, most drastically, increases the likelihood of local
extinction events. The following guidelines are currently being used to assist with management
of Carnaby’s Cockatoo. They are in part based on the GCC analysis, but have also come from
personal communications and field observations of roosting birds and their behaviour:
Potential foraging habitat should be maintained within a 6km radius around a roost site.
All large trees (above eight metres tall) within a 500m radius of the centre of the ‘core’
roosting area (small roosts with <150 birds) and within 1km around the centre of large
roosts (>150 birds, based on the data collected from 2006 - 2011), are considered to be
potential roosting habitat. This recommendation may need to be revised if further
population decline is confirmed by future surveys.
Standing water, including dams and waterways, and artificial water sources such as bird
baths and stock water points, are considered to be potentially important as watering
points for roosting birds within 2km of a roost.
Summary Statement
The relatively low cost of conducting the GCC surveys, extremely positive volunteer response,
and the robust results emphasise the value of well coordinated and appropriately structured
community-based surveys that better identify conservation actions for threatened cockatoos.
Continuing the Great Cocky Count has multiple benefits, including the mapping of important
habitat for the Carnaby’s Cockatoo and the prioritisation of sites for recovery actions including
long term protection. Long-term collection of roost count data are essential for understanding
population dynamics of this species, and more data are needed outside the DEC Swan Region.
In this way, population trends for populations in other regions can provide indications of the
trajectory of decline or increase across the range of the species.
33
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39
Appendix 1. Location details of Great Cocky Count 2011 sites,
including site codes and recorded counts of Carnaby’s Cockatoo.
Sites that were not surveyed during the 2011 GCC are included.
Shaded rows indicate 65 sites that were used for a site-to-site matched comparison
analysis between 2010 and 2011 GCCs.
Roost type listed under 2011 Site Category:
Roost (Confirmed Roost): Any site that has positively had Black Cockatoos settling
within 30 minutes of sunset and staying for the majority of the night and counted during
any official count or survey carried out by the Department of Environment and
Conservation (DEC), BirdLife Australia (formerly Birds Australia) staff and volunteers,
or by WA Museum staff using the Great Cocky Count method developed by Johnstone
and Kirkby (pers. comm., WA Museum), described by Shah (2006), and refined by
Berry (2008). All large trees (>8m height) within 1000m of the main roosting area
(coordinates on the database) (for large roosts, >150 birds) and within 500m for smaller
roosts (<150 birds) are considered to be potential roosting trees.
Unconfirmed Roost: Sites where roosting Black Cockatoos have been reported to
BirdLife Australia (formerly Birds Australia) or DEC but have not had a positive count
recorded (>1 bird) during any formal survey. Details of the reporting source have been
recorded on the DEC database.
Site (Potential Site of Roost): Any area that is considered a likely roost site for Black
Cockatoos, based on factors such as proximity of other roosting birds, potential roost
trees (see below), feeding habitat and standing water nearby. Potential sites for roosting
have been identified by DEC staff, BirdLife Australia (formerly Birds Australia) staff
and volunteers, and WA Museum staff. Birds have not yet been seen roosting in these
sites but survey effort has been minimal.
2011 Count: number of Carnaby’s Cockatoos recorded at that roost on April 7th 2011.
Area within DEC Swan Region: Details of the five DEC Swan Region Areas are provided in
the Region Description section and Figure 3 of the main report.
Tree species: the dominant tree in which Carnaby’s Cockatoos were recorded roosting
(including pre- and post-2011 GCC).
40
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost DEC1 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Yanchep Near Pinjara Power Station
31 31 50 115 47 52 Pine
Roost DEC10 0 Southern suburbs
Jandakot Between Jandakot Airport and Melville Glades Golf Course
32 4 37 115 52 6
Roost DEC11 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Wandi Eastern end of Wandi Drv, tall trees around horse stables
32 11 16 115 53 13 Eucalypt
Site DEC12 110 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Oakford Cumming Rd 32 14 2 115 53 9
Unconfirmed roost
DEC13 no count Southern suburbs
Wattle Grove Crystal Brooke Rd Wattle Grove and across the road on the corner of Emanuel Rd
32 0 42 116 0 52
Roost DEC14 no count Southern suburbs
Baldivis Cnr Eighty Rd and Sixty Eight Rd in the pine plantation
32 21 57 115 47 57 Pine
Unconfirmed roost
DEC15 no count Southern suburbs
Ardross Wireless Hill in from McCallum Crescent
32 1 50 115 49 48
Roost DEC16 5 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Walliston Pomeroy Rd 32 0 36 116 4 32 Pine
Roost DEC17 119 Northern suburbs
Woodridge Corner King Drv and Glenwood Pl, in tall introduced eucs
32 20 22 115 34 31
Site DEC18 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Gidgegannup Strawberry Hill Rd, in pines and introduced eucs
31 49 47 116 8 40
41
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site DEC19 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Beermullah Beermullah Rd 31 12 41 115 37 3
Roost DEC2 169 Southern suburbs
Hamilton Hill Manning Lake (Janson Rd, Hamilton Hill)
32 5 42 115 46 6 Tuart, Other
Roost DEC20 378 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gingin Granville Park corner of Dewar Rd and Jones St
31 20 56 115 54 16
Roost DEC21 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Preston Beach In the pine trees 32 52 48 115 43 19 Pine
Site DEC22 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Guilderton Along Moore River 31 20 17 115 32 57
Roost DEC23 56 Southern suburbs
Winthrop Hill Park 32 3 13 115 49 53 Pine
Roost DEC24 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Bakers Hill Colgongine Rd, halfway between Hepburn and Inkpen, in Wandoo
31 49 6 116 27 48
Unconfirmed roost
DEC25 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Keysbrook South side of Elliot Rd near the corner of Yangedi Rd, introduced eucalypts
32 26 29 115 52 55
Roost DEC26 0 Southern suburbs
Success Hammond Rd, in the small pine plantation
32 8 0 115 50 38 Pine
Roost DEC27 155 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Myalup Corner of Riverdale Road and Center Rd, in the pines
32 59 41 115 45 17 Pine, Jarrah
Site DEC28 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Oakford King St, in pine trees at the back of the nursery
32 13 52 115 54 25
42
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost DEC29 no count Northern suburbs
Ballajura Small Lake at the south end of Bramble way
31 49 48 115 52 44
Site DEC3 no count Northern suburbs
Dalkeith Birdwood Parade, along river near Perth Flying Squadron
32 0 5 115 48 26
roost dec30 19 Southern suburbs
Southern river Crn of Ranford and Warton Rd
Eucalypt
Site DEC31 no count Southern suburbs
Southern River Corner of Campbell Rd and Chatsworth Rd, in the golfcourse in lemon scented gums
32 5 21 115 55 51
Roost DEC32 82 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Kalamunda Corner of Alderside rd and Hummerston Rd
31 58 19 116 4 51
Site DEC33 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Dawesville Corner of Donnybrook Turn and Laverton Rise
32 37 19 115 37 43
Site DEC34 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Dale 32 14 30 116 39 55
Site DEC35 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Bullsbrook 31 39 2 116 5 47
Site DEC36 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Lesmurdie Ronneby Rd Lesmurdie
31 59 22 116 3 2
Site DEC37 0 Northern suburbs
Dalkeith Sunset hospital, at the end of the Esplanade
32 0 7 115 48 13
43
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site DEC38 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Jandabup 31 45 5 115 51 34
Site DEC39 0 Southern suburbs
Rockingham Trees along Rae Rd 32 17 53 115 44 24
Site DEC4 0 Northern suburbs
City Beach/Wembley Golf Course
Between Tranmore Way and Bent St
31 55 7 115 45 46
Roost DEC40 30 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Harrisdale Hatch Court Harrisdale
32 6 43 115 56 18
Site DEC41 no count Far north Jurien Bay Cantabilling Rd 30 16 22 115 20 12
Roost DEC42 2 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Sawyers Valley Between Eason Rd and Goslin Rd
31 53 42 116 11 23
Unconfirmed roost
DEC43 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Meelon Vizey Rd 32 41 17 115 57 20
Roost DEC5 230 Northern suburbs
North Beach Star Swamp, near Hope St
31 51 17 115 45 38
Unconfirmed roost
DEC6 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gironde Rd between Dollar and Silver Rd, Gnangara Pine Plantation
31 46 17 115 52 48
Roost DEC7 22 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Parkerville Nth of Beacon Rd, Parkerville, near Clutterbuck Crk and Steiner School
31 51 57 116 7 56 Eucalypt, Marri, Jarrah, Other
Site DEC8 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Boddington 1km west of Albany Hwy along Crossman Rd, roost on Hotham River
32 46 35 116 35 3
44
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost DEC9 0 Northern suburbs
Yokine Parkland Reserve between Virgil Ave, Shakespeare Ave and Dryden
31 54 22 115 51 52
Site GCC01 11 Northern suburbs
Joondalup Corner Ashley Rd and Wanneroo Rd
31 43 41 115 47 16 Pine
Site GCC02 no count Southern suburbs
Jandakot Stand of pines near corner Roe and Hope Rd
32 5 18 115 51 13
Roost GCC03 0 Northern suburbs
North Perth Corner of Fitzgerald and Farmer Street
31 55 37 115 51 30
Roost GCC04 2 Southern suburbs
Lathlain Lathlain Football Oval Cnr Goddard and Bishopsgate St
31 58 25 115 54 28
Site GCC05 no count Southern suburbs
South Perth Perth Zoo Cnr Clarence and Onslow (East side of Zoo)
31 58 40 115 51 24
Site GCC06 no count Southern suburbs
Byford John Calvin School Cnr Soldiers and Mead St
32 13 29 116 0 19
Site GCC07 0 Southern suburbs
Willetton Brolga Park cnr Brolga Prom and The Curlew
32 3 5 115 52 32
Site GCC08 0 Southern suburbs
Safety Bay Sea Haven Park Cnr Charthouse Rd and Chalmers Ave
32 18 52 115 44 44
Roost GCC09 0 Northern suburbs
Ocean Reef Beaumaris Reserve Shenton Ave
31 44 40 115 44 5
Site GCC10 no count Southern suburbs
Forrestfield Forrestfield Primary School Cnr Harewood and Edinburgh Streets
31 59 30 116 0 32
Site GCC100 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Mandurah Merrit Rd, Mandurah Parklands
32 29 31 115 46 29
45
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost GCC101 41 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Joondalup Between Galah & Krake Rd east of Mulga
31 44 13 115 53 30 Pine
Roost GCC102 0 Southern suburbs
Seville Grove Cnr Kidbroke Pl & Third Ave
32 7 34 116 0 30 Eucalypt
Site GCC103 no count Northern suburbs
Midland Midland Christian School Nth of Great Northern Hwy & Middle Swan Rd
Roost GCC104 0 Northern suburbs
Oakford Orton Rd and Cumming Rd
32 13 45 115 53 7 Eucalypt
Site GCC105 0 Southern suburbs
Jandakot Cnr Jackson Rd & Leeming Rd
32 4 51 115 53 31 Other
Site GCC106 no count Northern suburbs
Joondalup Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park
31 47 56 115 46 37
Site GCC107 no count South of Swan River
Ascot Cnr Elmsfield St & Hardey Rd
Site GCC108 no count Northern suburbs
Carine Carine High School oval
Site GCC109 no count South of Swan River
Port Kennedy Endeavour School
Site GCC11 0 Southern suburbs
Yokine Yokine Reserve Cnr Chaucer Ave and Woodrow Ave
31 53 57 115 51 39 Eucalypt
Site GCC110 0 Northern suburbs
Lockridge Rosher Park Cnr Rosher Rd and Diana Crescent
31 54 34 115 51 33
Site GCC111 0 Northern suburbs
Darlington Maida Vale Rd
Site GCC112 no count South of Swan River
Kewdale Tomato Lake Oats St and President St
Site GCC113 no count Northern suburbs
Bayswater Mills Avenue Park Cnr Mills Ave and Railway Pde
46
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site GCC114 no count Southern suburbs
Rockingham Rockingham Golf Course
32 17 52 115 46 30
Site GCC115 no count Southern suburbs
Cannington Hester Park Canoe club carpark
32 1 56 115 56 35
Roost GCC116 199 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Dawesville Timbers Edge Estate Fernwood Rd
Site GCC12 no count Southern suburbs
Ardross Shirley Strickland Oval on the corner of Coogee and Mitchel st
32 1 21 115 50 23
Roost GCC13 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Jolimont Jolimont Lake - Mabel Talbot Park
31 94 40 115 80 99
Site GCC14 0 Northern suburbs
Padbury Mawson Park cnr Mawson Drive and Flinders Drive
31 48 20 115 44 55
Site GCC15 no count Northern suburbs
Craigie Sandalford Park cnr Ocean Reef and Craigie Drv
31 46 23 115 46 19
Site GCC16 0 Northern suburbs
Floreat Birds Australia carpark 31 56 18 115 46 53
Site GCC17 no count Southern suburbs
Riverton Montes Park cnr Montes Square and Jillian St
32 1 55 115 53 51
Roost GCC18 0 Northern suburbs
Shenton Park Lake at cnr of Herbert Rd and Evans St
31 57 34 115 48 38
Site GCC19 0 Southern suburbs
Victoria Park Cnr Hillview Tce and Albany Hwy
31 59 33 115 54 32
Site GCC20 no count Southern suburbs
Kensington Kent St High School oval cnr Kennard St and Rathay St
31 59 7 115 53 26
47
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost GCC21 60 Northern suburbs
Warwick Warwick Open Space 31 50 13 115 49 12
Site GCC22 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Kemerton Silica sand mine site cnr Treasury and Wellesley Rds
33 6 20 115 47 40
Site GCC23 0 Southern suburbs
Willetton All Saints College, Ewing Ave
32 3 3 115 51 57
Site GCC24 no count Southern suburbs
Redcliffe Smythe Lak Reserve cnr Lyle and Stanton St
31 56 22 115 56 29
Site GCC25 no count Southern suburbs
Willetton End of Aderyn Place 32 3 1 115 53 12
Site GCC26 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Applecross Thompkins Park off Canning Hwy near North Lake Rd
32 2 10 115 81 81 Pine
Site GCC27 0 Southern suburbs
Atwell Harvest Lakes between Kinship Way and Euphony Way
32 9 15 115 51 46 Pine
Site GCC28 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Bellevue Elder Park Cnr Katherine Street
Site GCC29 0 Southern suburbs
Victoria Park Cnr Miller Rd and Beatty Ave
31 58 39 115 54 25 Eucalypt
Site GCC30 0 Northern suburbs
Mt Claremont Mt Claremont oval 31 58 5 115 46 48
Site GCC31 0 Southern suburbs
Kardinya Pine plantation between South St and Garling Ave
32 3 30 115 48 22
Site GCC32 no count Northern suburbs
Ballajura Enderby Park cnr Bellefin Dve and Enderby Crt
31 50 32 115 54 35
Site GCC33 no count Southern suburbs
Canning Vale Corner Ladham and Welbeck Rd
32 5 16 115 56 11
48
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site GCC34 0 Southern suburbs
Attadale Groves Park 32 1 49 115 48 39
Roost GCC35 7 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Helena Valley Between Darlington and Glen Forrest (along old railway)
Marri
Roost GCC36 90 Northern suburbs
Dalkeith Adelma Rd 31 59 28 115 47 57 Pine
Roost GCC37 3 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Oakford Tuart Rd 32 12 53 115 53 14 Eucalypt
Roost GCC38 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Casuarina Marri Park Golf Club, Surflin Ct
32 14 1 115 52 2 Eucalypt
Roost GCC39 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Gwindinup Hooker St 33 30 51 115 45 4 Marri, Other
Roost GCC40 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Mariners Cove Dudley Park next to Mandurah Catholic School
32 33 1 115 44 7 Other
Site GCC41 0 Southern suburbs
Camillo Swingler Park cnr Nullagine Way and Walker Place
32 5 8 115 59 10 Pine, Eucalypt
Site GCC42 0 Northern suburbs
Hillarys Cnr of Broadbeach Boulevard and Waterston Gardens
31 48 3 115 44 9
Site GCC43 no count Northern suburbs
Kings Park Immediately east of Forrest Drive carpark
31 57 49 115 50 23
Site GCC44 0 Northern suburbs
Subiaco Meuller Park 31 56 42 115 50 1 Eucalypt
Site GCC45 no count South of Swan River
Secret Harbour Tuart Park, cnr Anstey Rd and Bluestone Parkway
32 24 29 115 46 7
49
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost GCC46 35 Southern suburbs
South Perth Earnest Johnson Oval, cnr South Tce and Sandgate St
31 59 11 115 52 0
Site GCC47 no count Northern suburbs
Kings Park Synergy Parkland May Rd near Zamia Café
31 57 54 115 49 15
Site GCC48 no count Southern suburbs
South Guildford Rosehill Golf Course 31 54 32 115 58 45
Site GCC49 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Dawesville Hazlemere Drive Florida
Site GCC50 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Walliston Bill Shaw Reserve Corner Grove Rd and Canning Road
32 0 5 116 3 59
Unconfirmed roost
GCC51 0 Northern suburbs
Kings Park Pines along Fraser Ave in Kings Par
31 57 29 115 50 36 Pine
Site GCC52 no count Southern suburbs
Parkwood Whaleback Golf Course Roe Hwy
32 3 16 115 55 10
Site GCC53 0 Southern suburbs
Burswood G.O.Edwards Park Cnr Great Eastern Hwy and Craig St
31 57 53 115 53 46
Site GCC54 no count Northern suburbs
Warwick Juniper Reserve corner of Sycamore Drv and Tristania Rise
31 50 37 115 47 22 Eucalypt
Site GCC55 no count Northern suburbs
Mt Claremont Cnr Fortview and McClemans
31 57 37 115 46 13
Site GCC56 0 Southern suburbs
Kardinya Allen Edwards Park cnr South St and North Lake Road
32 4 15 115 48 48 Pine
Site GCC57 no count Northern suburbs
Kiara Arbor Park cnr Elletra Close and Cassia Way
0398734E
6472410N
50
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site GCC58 no count Northern suburbs
Ballajura Ballajura Oval corner of Parkwood Drv and Greenoaks Gdns
31 49 59 115 52 45
Roost GCC59 0 Northern suburbs
North Perth Hyde Park cnr Vincent and Williams St
31 56 15 115 51 50
Site GCC60 2 Southern suburbs
Spearwood Pearce Park cnr Spearwood Ave and Adela Place
32 6 9 115 46 42
Roost GCC61 0 Southern suburbs
Huntingdale Armstrong Park cnr Warton Rd and Huntingdale Rd
32 4 28 115 57 47 Eucalypt
Site GCC62 no count Northern suburbs
North Perth Woodville Reserve cnr Fitzgerald and Farmer St
0391850E
6466900N
Site GCC63 no count Southern suburbs
Cannington Seven Oaks Senior College, Seven Oaks St
32 0 49 115 56 34
Site GCC64 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Wooroloo Cnr Liberton Rd and Needham Rd
31 48 26 116 17 38
Site GCC65 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Coodanup C\nr Beachan and Wanjeep st
32 33 16 115 44 46
Site GCC66 0 Southern suburbs
Bicton Point Walter Golf Course Honour Avenue
32 1 7 115 47 0
Roost GCC67 0 Southern suburbs
Bibra Lake Bushland West of Bibra Lake between Progress Drive and North Lake Rd
32 5 24 115 49 9 Eucalypt
Roost GCC68 0 Southern suburbs
Willetton Prendwick Reserve 32 3 2 115 53 46
51
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site GCC69 no count Southern suburbs
Secret Harbour Secret Harbour Golf Links Spyglass Hill cnr Secret Harbour Blvrd and Bendalong Blvrd
32 24 29 115 45 14
Roost GCC70 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Lesmurdie Cnr Barbigal Place and Orange Valley Road
31 59 22 116 2 54 Eucalypt
Roost GCC71 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Dwellingup Lewis Park, Irwin Rd Teesdale
32 42 40 116 32 1 Jarrah
Roost GCC72 0 Southern suburbs
Mt Henry peninsular
32 1 40 115 51 42 Eucalypt, Other
Roost GCC73 20 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Marijinup Timely Hostess Mews 31 41 40 115 52 47 Pine, Eucalypt
Roost GCC74 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Gidgegannup Cnr Lakeview & Waterford Rd
31 49 53 116 9 22 Eucalypt, Marri
Roost GCC75 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Chidlow 535 Lilydale Rd 31 51 23 116 16 0 Pine, Eucalypt
Roost GCC76 no count South coast
Bakers Hill Tame Rd Marri, Jarrah
Roost GCC77 0 Southern suburbs
Victoria Park Raphael Park on the corner of Washington St and Oswald St
31 58 20 115 53 9 Pine
Roost GCC78 0 Southern suburbs
Murdoch Corpus Christi College oval bounded by Dean Rd, Parry Ave and Murdoch Dr.
32 3 23 115 50 32 Pine, Eucalypt
52
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost GCC79 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Oakford Corner of King and Thomas Rd
32 13 8 115 54 18 Eucalypt
Roost GCC80 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Mundaring Bugle Tree Gully area bounded by Gill, Stevens and Stoneville St
Eucalypt, Marri
Site GCC81 no count Southern suburbs
Kardinya Robert Smith Park 32 3 12 115 49 19
Roost GCC82 no count Northern suburbs
Jandabup Opposite Damian Park, Damian Rd
Other
Roost GCC83 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Preston Beach Rd
Preston Beach Rd 32 52 37 115 40 37
Site GCC84 no count Northern suburbs
Iluka Cnr Moonlight and Ratang
Site GCC85 no count Northern suburbs
Innaloo Birralee Park cnr Bates Rd and Beatrice St Innaloo
31 53 30 115 47 44 Pine
Roost GCC86 22 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Regans Ford Brand Hwy 30 58 31 115 42 50
Site GCC87 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Wellard Cnr St Albans Rd & Telephone Lane
32 16 22 115 50 55
Roost GCC88 40 Northern suburbs
West Perth Harold Boas Park cnr Colin St & Wellington St
31 56 45 115 50 41
Roost GCC89 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Wundowie Hyde Drv 31 46 15 116 23 42
53
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site GCC90 0 Southern suburbs
Gosnells Park at cnr Sandford & Murchinson
32 5 21 115 59 3
Site GCC91 no count Southern suburbs
Bibra Lake Adventure World, Progress Drive
32 5 43 115 49 10
Site GCC92 0 Southern suburbs
Coolbellup Old North Lake Primary School Site cnr Juliette & Montague Rds
32 4 52 115 48 55 Pine, Eucalypt
Roost GCC93 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Walliston Cnr Veticordia Rd and Grevillea Rd
31 59 47 116 4 9 Jarrah
Site GCC94 0 Southern suburbs
Bibra Lake Ramsey Park (Aubin Park) Parwkay Rd cnr Tetlow & Dowell Way
32 5 26 115 50 48
Site GCC95 no count Southern suburbs
Gosnells Mary Carroll Lake Eudoria St
32 4 50 116 0 15
Site GCC96 no count Southern suburbs
Kwinana Kwinana Golf Course cnr Westbrook & Wellard Rd
32 14 57 115 48 7
Roost GCC97 0 Northern suburbs
Mosman Park Childley Point Bush Sanctuary/Golf Course cnr Wellington & Bateman St
32 1 2 115 46 28
Site GCC98 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Serpentine Firns Rd 32 23 10 116 1 18
Roost GCC99 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Oakford Pony Place 32 11 48 115 55 9 Pine
Roost
HF1 80 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gnangara Road: along Centre Road (powerline corridor)
31 47 24 115 54 45 Pine
54
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Unconfirmed roost
HF10 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Centre Way cnr Blackboy Rd
31 44 47 115 54 95
Roost HF11 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Ziatus-Chitty Road 31 40 13 115 49 39 Eucalypt
Unconfirmed roost
HF12 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Perry Road 31 39 38 115 50 16
Roost HF13 312 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Regelia Road-Daesypogon Road site and Perry Road, (Pinjar)
31 38 4 115 50 36 Pine, Eucalypt
Roost HF14 0 Northern suburbs
Gnangara Wanneroo Golf Course
31 41 0 115 49 6 Other
Roost HF15 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Perry Road 31 36 34 115 48 39
Roost HF16 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara North of Wattle Avenue East
31 39 21 115 47 21 Pine, Eucalypt
Roost HF17 29 Northern suburbs
Gnangara South of Wattle Avenue East
31 39 38 115 47 23
Roost HF18 0 Northern suburbs
Gnangara West of Alf Barbagallo Raceway
31 39 44 115 47 2 Pine, Other
Unconfirmed roost
HF19 0 Northern suburbs
Gnangara Lot 21 31 40 3 115 46 13
Unconfirmed roost
HF2 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Stoney Road 31 45 56 115 51 40 Pine, Eucalypt
Unconfirmed roost
HF21 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gibbs Road North 31 38 59 115 49 26
55
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Unconfirmed roost
HF23 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Neaves Road 31 41 44 115 52 12
Unconfirmed roost
HF24 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Anderson Road 31 38 59 115 49 26
Unconfirmed roost
HF25 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Old Yanchep-Pinjar Road (South of Wescoe)
31 38 20 115 47 54
Unconfirmed roost
HF26 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara SeaTrees Development
31 27 58 115 38 37
Roost HF27 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Carabooda Road 31 36 11 115 43 45
Roost HF28 92 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Acacia Road 31 15 52 115 24 24
Unconfirmed roost
HF29 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Whiteman Park 31 50 37 115 56 55 Pine
Roost HF3 14 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Lakelands Leisure Centre: junction of Sydney Rd & Lakelands Dve
31 46 31 115 51 55
Unconfirmed roost
HF30 no count Northern suburbs
Gnangara Ballajura, Lakefarm Road
31 50 2 115 54 7
Unconfirmed roost
HF32 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Yanchep National Park (east of Wanneroo Rd)
31 32 33 115 42 8
Roost HF4 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Sydney Rd 31 46 6 115 52 2
56
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Unconfirmed roost
HF5 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara North of Stoney Rd 31 45 25 115 51 15 Pine, Other
Unconfirmed roost
HF6 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara West of Boundary Rd 31 46 5 115 52 31
Roost HF7 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Hawkins Rd North 31 43 52 115 51 3
Roost HF8 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Amarante Rd (west of Quail Rd)
31 43 37 115 51 26
Unconfirmed roost
HF9 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Capron-Maringup-Garden Park Drv, Dundebar Rd, Franklin Rd
31 43 58 115 49 32
Site QB01 no count Northern suburbs
Claremont Lake Claremont, south end of Strickland St
31 58 21 115 46 30
Site QB02 0 Northern suburbs
Mullaloo Korella Park 31 46 40 115 44 21
Roost R1 15 Northern suburbs
Yanchep Yanchep National Park
31 32 23 115 40 1 Eucalypt
Roost R10 3 Southern suburbs
Winthrop Piney Lakes Reserve 32 2 53 115 50 26
Site R11 0 Southern suburbs
Kardinya Morris Buzacott Reserve
32 3 44 115 49 27
Roost R12 no count Southern suburbs
Baldivis Karnup Pine Plantation
32 23 33 115 48 37
Roost R13 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Dawesville Bush west of Fernwood Rd
32 38 30 115 37 57 Tuart
Unconfirmed roost
R14 0 Northern suburbs
Yanchep Bush north and west of Moorpark Ave
31 32 17 115 38 39 Other
57
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost R15 151 Northern suburbs
Floreat Perry Lakes Reserve (cnr Underwood Ave and Brockway Rd)
31 56 40 115 46 50 Eucalypt, Tuart
Roost R16 3 Southern suburbs
Jandakot Jandakot Caravan Park, Hammond Rd
32 7 50 115 50 33 Pine, Eucalypt
Roost R2 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gnangara Pine Plantation
31 45 38 115 53 33
Roost R3 103 Northern suburbs
Nedlands Hollywood Hospital 31 58 0 115 48 28 Other
Roost R4 473 Southern suburbs
Bentley Collier Park Golf Course, Hayman Rd
31 59 53 115 53 4 Pine
Roost R5 171 Southern suburbs
Bentley Curtin University 31 59 50 115 53 18 Pine
Roost R6 130 Southern suburbs
Winthrop Winthrop Park 32 3 8 115 49 33 Pine
Site R7 0 Southern suburbs
Kardinya Laurie Withers Reserve
32 3 45 115 49 11 Eucalypt
Roost R8 0 Southern suburbs
Murdoch Murdoch University 32 4 2 115 50 5
Roost R9 0 Southern suburbs
Kensington Technology Park 31 59 34 115 53 22 Eucalypt
Roost TK1 60 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Jarrahdale Cnr Jarrahdale and Oak Way
32 20 7 116 3 27 Marri
Site TK10 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Lesley 32 8 36 116 11 11
Site TK11 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Mount Dale 32 6 52 116 17 28
58
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost TK12 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Scarp Cnr Kingsbury and Scarp Rd
32 24 22 116 1 35 Jarrah
Roost TK13 86 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Stoneville Gilfellon Rd Mundaring
31 52 44 116 10 23 Jarrah
Roost TK14 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Wungong Admiral Rd 32 11 33 116 3 31 Marri
Site TK15 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Wungong Chandler Rd 32 16 45 116 8 48
Site TK16 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Wungong Rosella Rd 32 15 39 116 4 49
Roost TK2 13 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Araluen McNess Rd near Watercorp sign
32 7 53 116 6 16
Site TK3 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Araluen Lower roost 32 7 43 116 7 51
Roost TK4 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Bedfordale Camfield Place 32 8 46 116 3 19 Marri, Jarrah
Roost TK5 22 Darling Plateau (JarrahForest)
Bedfordale Cnr Albany Hwy and Narbethong
32 10 41 116 3 45 Pine, Jarrah
59
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site TK6 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Bungendore Park 32 11 3 116 2 4
Roost TK7 5 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest
Crossman Cnr Crossman and Albany Hwy
32 46 58 116 35 38 Eucalypt
Site TK8 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
The Lakes Lakes 31 53 41 116 26 10
Roost TK9 10 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Kelmscott Buckingham Rd 32 7 14 116 2 4
Roost WS1 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gnangara Rd 31 47 44 115 56 47 Pine
Unconfirmed roost
WS10 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Neaves Rd 31 41 48 115 49 54 Pine
Roost WS11 0 Northern suburbs
Gnangara Ellenbrook 31 45 1 115 59 34
Unconfirmed roost
WS12 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Yanchep Office 31 32 49 115 41 3
Unconfirmed roost
WS13 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Neerabup 31 38 57 115 48 1
Unconfirmed roost
WS2 0 Northern suburbs
Gnangara Yanchep Golf Course 31 32 55 115 39 40 Eucalypt, Tuart
Roost WS3 305 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Yanchep Park Volunteer Centre
31 32 55 115 40 54 Tuart
60
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Unconfirmed roost
WS4 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gibb Rd North 31 38 11 115 44 16
Roost WS5 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Perry Rd 31 38 27 115 49 52 Pine
Unconfirmed roost
WS6 0 Northern suburbs
Gnangara Edith Cowan University Lake
31 45 14 115 46 50 Marri, Jarrah
Roost WS7 152 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Conductor Rd 31 41 55 115 52 36 Pine
Site WS8 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Connolly Golf
Unconfirmed roost
WS9 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Carabooda 31 35 53 115 43 28
Site XK1 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Yanchep Old Yanchep Rd 31 38 88 115 48 10
Site XK10 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Yeal Military Rd 31 25 13 115 41 21
Site XK11 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Melaleuca Neaves Rd & Silver Rd
31 40 56 115 53 40
Site XK12 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Bullsbrook Fraser Rd, Bullsbrook 31 39 2 116 5 47
Site XK13 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Stratton Appaloosa Way, Stratton
31 51 54 116 2 53
Site XK14 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gwindinup Hooker St, Gwindinup 33 30 52 115 45 5
61
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site XK15 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Walliston Verticordia Rd, Walliston
31 59 47 116 4 10
Site XK16 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Dale Edision Mill Rd, Wandoo Conservation Park
32 14 6 32 14 6
Site XK17 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Coodanup Willam and Mary Beechman Reserve (Wanjeep Rd, Beechman Rd, and Broun Rd)
32 33 23 115 44 49
Site XK18/dec 24
no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Sawyers Valley Between Eason Rd and Goslin Rd
31 53 42 116 11 23
Site XK19 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Piesse Brook Aldersyde Rd and Hummerston Rd
31 58 19 116 4 52
Site XK2 no count Northern suburbs
Ocean Beach Minsterly Rd 35 0 18 117 20 5
Site xk20 no count Southern suburbs
Jandakot Hatch Crt 32 6 43 115 56 19
Site xk21 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Jandabup Hawkins Rd 31 45 5 115 51 34
Roost xk22 16 South coast Amarante East of Boundary Rd along Amarante Rd just past Mulga Rd
31 43 24 115 52 41
Roost XK23 3 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Helena Valley Helena Valley Rd 31 55 34 116 3 8 Eucalypt, Marri
Roost XK24 80 Wheatbelt Narrogin Foxes Lair Arboretum, Parry Ct
32 56 35 117 9 60
62
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost XK25 40 Southern suburbs
Spearwood Crn Cockburn and Spearwood Rd
32 5 53 115 46 1
Roost XK26 10 South coast Eagle Bay Eagle Crescent 33 33 13 115 3 34
Roost XK27 18 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Bullsbrook Jess/Smith Rd Bullsbrook
31 39 32 116 4 40
Roost XK28 25 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Kalamunda Jorgenson Park -31 58 54 116 10 4 Eucalypt, Marri
Roost XK29 29 South coast Mumballup 20km south of Collie 33 31 12 116 8 6 Eucalypt
Site XK3 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
North Dandalup
Roost XK30 33 Southern suburbs
Baldivis Yulbah Loop and Yate Crt
32 21 55 115 48 58 Eucalypt, Jarrah, Tuart
Site XK31 0 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gingin Shire office in Gingin 32 20 49 115 54 16
Roost XK32 12 Southern suburbs
Baldivis Yulbah Loop 32 21 55 115 48 56
Roost XK33 78 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Dawesville Dawesville 32 21 55 115 48 56 Tuart
Roost XK34 196 South coast Esperance
33 51 42 121 52 14
Site XK35 0 Wheatbelt Goomalling
31 17 49 116 49 36
Site XK36 0 Northern suburbs
Shenton Park 31 57 49.4 115 48 64.3
63
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site XK37 0 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Falcon Falcon, south on Mandurah cape lilac trees
32 33 46 115 41 54
Roost XK38 9 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Greenfields Lakes road 32 30 42 115 46 14
Site XK4 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Myalup Myalup 32 59 34 115 45 11 Pine
Site XK41 no count South coast Mt Barker
34 37 41 117 39 29
Roost XK42 30 Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Dawesville Melrose park, corner of Ayrton & Melrose Beach Rds
32 38 8 115 37 22
Site XK43 no count Northern suburbs
Wembley Downs Brine Pl 31 54 54 115 46 58
Site XK45 0 South coast Eaton Eaton Primary School 33 19 19 115 42 10
Site XK47 no count Southern suburbs
Rockingham Saw Ave, Palmbeach 32 16 50 115 43 9
Site XK49 0 Northern suburbs
Glen Forrest Goorary St
Site XK5 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gnangara Pine Plantation
31 25 15 115 40 56 Pine
Site XK52 no count Northern suburbs
North Beach 31 51 41 115 45 17
Site xk53 no count Southern suburbs
Beaconsfield Beaconsfield Tafe, Grosvenor St
32 3 58 115 46 1 Pine
Site XK54 no count Southern suburbs
Guildford 31 54 7 115 58 13
Site XK56 no count Far north Geraldton Three Rocks 28 46 44 114 36 36
64
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site XK59 no count Southern suburbs
Maida Vale 31 56 51 116 1 44
Site XK6 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gnangara Pine Plantation
31 28 26 115 41 24 Pine
Site XK60 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Greenfields Clydesdale Drive 32 30 35 115 46 7
Roost XK61 40 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Dwellingup Wildes Rd 32 42 51 116 3 50
Site XK62 no count South coast
Witchcliffe Wildes Rd 34 1 28 115 6 7
Site XK63 no count Southern suburbs
Como Thelma St, (Cr of Hayman Rd)
31 59 45 115 52 55
Site XK66 no count Southern peri-urban Peel Region
Coolup Bell Plantation in Gooralong Camping Ground in Serpentine National Park
32 44 24 115 52 34
Site XK69 0 South coast Esperance
33 51 29 121 52 4
Site XK7 no count Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Gnangara Gnangara Pine Plantation
31 43 48 115 52 18 Pine
Unconfirmed roost
XK70 0 South coast Esperance
33 51 42 121 52 51 Tuart
Site XK71 0 South coast Esperance
33 51 42 121 52 51
Site XK72 0 South coast Esperance 33 51 42 121 52 51
Site XK73 no count Southern suburbs
Bateman Corpus Christi College, Murdoch Drv
32 3 24 115 50 31
65
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Roost XK74 69 Northern Swan Coastal Plain
Whiteman Whiteman Park 31 49 18 115 56 13 Pine
Site XK75 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Kalamunda 31 58 26 116 3 39
Site XK76 no count Wheatbelt York Talbot Hall Rd, Talbot via York
31 52 50 116 45 50
Site XK77 0 South coast Albany
Mt Melville 35 1 18 117 51 57
Site XK78 0 South coast Albany
35 1 29 117 53 36
Unconfirmed roost
xk79 0 South coast Albany
Lake Seppings
Site XK8 no count Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Gidgegannup Near Noble Falls 31 45 37 116 13 56
Site xk80 0 South coast Albany
Millbrook
Site xk81 0 South coast Albany
Millbrook Rd
Unconfirmed roost
xk82 0 South coast Albany
Carstein Tree Farm
Roost xk83 111 South coast Albany
Site xk84 0 Darling Plateau (Jarrah Forest)
Roleystone Roleystone
Roost xk85 5 Southern suburbs
Baldivis Kerosene Rd
66
2011 site category
Roost Code
2011 Count
Area within DEC Swan
Region Location Location details
Latitude Longitude Tree spp.
Deg Min Sec Deg Min Sec
Site XK89 0 Northern suburbs
Kings Park Area due south of "Stickybeaks", LotteryWest Park, Kings Park
31 57 16 115 50 15
Site XK9 no count Southern suburbs
Canning Vale Cnr of Warton Rd and Ranford road in Southern River
32 6 0.88 115 55 53
67
Appendix 2. Counts of Carnaby’s Cockatoo at 10 super roost
locations surveyed in GCC 2006, GCC 2010 and GCC 2011. (see Burnham et al. 2010 for details of 2010 GCC and map of super roost locations).
2006 2010 2011
Roost location Site
designation Number of Birds
Site
designation Number of
birds Site
designation Number of
birds
Yanchep 1 R1 300 R1 0 R1 15
WS2 0 WS2 0
WS12 0 WS12 0
WS3 342 WS3 305
WS32 0 WS32 .
Total 300 342 320
Gnangara R2 2489 R2 0 R2 .
H5 0 H5 .
DEC38 0 DEC38 .
GCC101 500 GCC101 41
HF2 0 HF2 0
HF3 0 HF3 14
HF4 27 HF4 0
HF6 0 HF6 .
DEC6 0 DEC6 .
HF10 0 HF10 .
HF1 0 HF1 0
Total 2489 527 55
Nedlands R3 205 R3 73 R3 103
GCC18 0 GCC18 0
GCC47 0 GCC47 .
Total 205 73 103
Bentley/
Kensington
R4 50 R4 408 R4 473
R5 70 GCC19 0 GCC19 0
R9 225 GCC20 0 GCC20 .
GCC46 0 GCC46 35
Total 345 408 508
Winthrop
Park/Kardinya/
Murdoch
R6 212 R6 117 R6 130
R7 92 R7 0 R7 15
R8 90 R8 700 R8 0
R10 84 R10 0 R10 0
R11 69 R11 0 R11 .
GCC31 0 GCC31 0
68
GCC56 0 GCC56 0
GCC92 0 GCC92 0
GCC78 8 GCC78 0
GCC23 0 GCC23 0
GCC81 0 GCC81 .
DEC23 0 DEC23 56
GCC67 0 GCC67 0
GCC91 0 GCC91 .
GCC94 0 GCC94 .
Total 547 825 201
Baldivis R12 574 R12 0 R12 .
DEC14 346 DEC14 .
Total 574 346 0
Dawesville R13 50 R13 159 R13 0
DEC33 0 DEC33 0
Total 50 159 0
Yanchep 2 R14 50 R14 0 R14 .
Total 50 0 0
Floreat R15 290 R15 237 R15 151
GCC16 0 GCC16 0
GCC55 0 GCC55 .
GCC30 0 GCC30 0
Total 290 237 151
Jandakot R16 150 R16 15 R16 3
DEC26 252 DEC26 0
GCC27 0 GCC27 0
Total 150 267 3
Overall
Totals
5000 3184 1341
69
Appendix 3. Five linear regressions of Carnaby's Cockatoo population counts from 2011 GCC against
Potential Feeding Habitat (PFH; hectares) within 6km radius of roosts and resulting (mean) model of
population density in DEC Swan Region
70
Appendix 4. Great Cocky Count example data sheet
72
Appendix 5. Examples of Volunteer Contact
Birds Australia WA e-news 1/3/2011
Great Cocky Count 2011: Regional Roost Roundup
The Great Cocky Count is on again for 2011 and this year we are spreading our wings further
afield. In previous years the Great Cocky Count, a joint initiative of Birds Australia Carnaby's
Black-Cockatoo Recovery Project and the Department of Environment and Conservation, has
focussed on the Swan Coastal Plain; but this year is different. In order to better understand the
movements of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo’s across the south west as well as establish a better
idea of how many birds there are left the Great Cocky Count is going to include overnight roost
sites from across South Western Australia; which is where you can help us.
An overnight roost site is what it sounds like, where birds roost, or ‘sleep’ overnight, usually
congregating noisily in the hour around dusk, typically in tall trees. If you know of a roost in
your area we want to know about it, as reports of roost sites outside of the Swan Coastal Plain
are scarce. We are also looking for volunteers to participate in the Great Cocky Count for a full
range ‘snap shot’ of Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos on the evening of the 7th
of April, and also to
carry out follow up surveys.
Participating in the Great Cocky Count is easy and fun, monitoring primarily involves getting to
your designated roost site half an hour before dusk (volunteers will be advised of the time closer
to the date) and then tallying the birds that come to the roost site until half an hour after dusk,
simple! Once you have your tally and total you can then enter your data straight into our online
database at http://birdsaustralia.org.au, or by submitting a sighting form. Full details about
surveying methods and reporting will be given closer to the date to registered volunteers.
If you know of a roost site or would be interested in being a volunteer observer please e-mail;
Interested to learn more about Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo and the Recovery Project? Visit our
website; www.birdsaustralia.com.au/carnabys
________________________________________________________________________
NRM News Release (10/03/2011)
Get involved in The Great Cocky Count 2011
Get involved in conserving an endangered and iconic Western Australia species, by joining
Birds Australia with The Great Cocky Count 2011 on 7th
April. The survey, organised by the
Birds Australia's Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Recovery Project, in partnership with Department
of Environment and Conservation aims to better map critical habitat in the form of night roosts
for this threatened species across the southwest of Western Australia.
We need volunteers to find night roosts and get a ‘snap shot’ of Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo
numbers, and to carry out follow up surveys. We will be repeating last year’s incredibly
successful survey, this year we’re working across the entire Swan Coastal Plain, from Geraldton
to Busselton and we are spreading our even wings further, we want roost locations and counts
from across the species range.
73
Participating in the Great Cocky Count is easy and fun, it involves getting to your site half an
hour before sunset and counting the birds as they fly across the sky into the roost, until about
half an hour after sun set. So get involved, find roost, pack a picnic, and make an evening out of
it.
If you know of a roost site or would be interested in being a volunteer observer please e-mail
Xander at; [email protected] or call/text 0404713866.
________________________________________________________________________
DEC release 9-3-2011
April 7th GCC2011
Black Cockatoo surveys to expand across the whole of the southwest - volunteers needed
Volunteers are being called for to help count Carnaby's Cockatoos at their evening roost sites on
Thursday the 7th April 2011. While we will be concentrating on the Swan Coastal Plain, from
Geraldton to Busselton, we are also interested in roost counts from across the western edge of
the Wheatbelt, and south to Albany and Esperance.
The survey, organised by the Department of Environment and Conservation in conjunction with
Birds Australia's Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Recovery Project, aims to determine the population
of this threatened species across the southwest of Western Australia. The survey will help
determine whether the population has declined or increased since previous surveys in 2006 and
2010.
DEC Swan Region Ecologist Geoff Barrett said that during the Great Cocky Count last
year, 350 volunteers visited 220 sites and 120 of these turned out to be nocturnal roost sites. On
a single evening, around 6500 Carnaby's black cockatoos were counted in the greater Perth
region.
This is consistent with expert estimates of 8000 to 10,000 birds for the greater Perth area also
consistent with the 10,000 to 15,000 birds thought to occur in the Swan Coastal Plain from
Lancelin in the north to Dunsborough in the south.
Dr Barrett said: "So successful was the Great Cocky Count last year in 2010 that we plan to
expand the survey to include roosting birds from Geraldton all the way to Busselton"
Community involvement through DEC and Birds Australia was vital in allowing us to cover
such a vast area and visit all roost sites on the same evening, giving us a 'snapshot' count of bird
numbers.
'Repeating the Great Cocky Count will allow us to monitor the number of birds visiting Swan
Coastal Plain this summer and record whether they bred successfully last year.'
"This partnership between DEC and Birds Australia WA, is helping us map critical habitat of
the Carnaby's black cockatoo, with the aim of protecting the species from further decline," Dr
Barrett said.
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"Carnaby's black cockatoos roost in tall trees clumped together and covering a few hectares,
often pine or eucalypt trees, occurring high in the landscape and close to water and food trees
such as banksias."
"Carnaby's Cockatoo's (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) only occur in the south west of Australia
and are listed as rare in Western Australia and threatened under national legislation. It is
estimated that only 40,000 birds currently exist, with the population spread over one third the
range that existed 50 year ago."
"As of 2007, an estimated 60 per cent of the native vegetation had been cleared on the Swan
Coastal Plain with nine per cent of this reserved in formal conservation estate. It has been
estimated that 54 per cent of unconfirmed Carnaby's Black-cockatoo habitat has been lost from
the Swan Coastal Plain. If roost trees and feeding habitat continue to be lost, survival of these
iconic birds is uncertain."
Dr. Xander Kabat, the new Birds Australia project coordinator said "The Great Cocky Count is
easy and fun. It involves getting to your site half an hour before sunset and tallying the birds as
they fly across the sky into the roost, until about half an hour after sun set"
If you can help us count birds at your local roost, or simply tell us where a Black cockatoo roost
site is, please contact Geoff Barrett from the WA Department of Environment and Conservation
([email protected] or ph 9423 2907) or Xander Kabat from Birds Australia
([email protected] or ph: 0404713866)
The WA Natural Resource Management-funded project was administered by DEC and Birds
Australia and is helping to conserve this iconic species that is endemic to Western
Australia and under serious threat from habitat loss.
April 7th GCC
Media contact: DEC media 6467 5555
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Great Cocky Count Post Survey Tea Invitation
Email sent on 8/04/2011
Hi Cocky Counters,
Congratulations on your success and thank you so much for all your effort last night. We had
over 250 volunteers surveying 246 sites which included up to 44 new sites from across the
region. We managed to get sites covered from Geraldton to Albany. It is this type of community
effort that can make a huge difference to saving this wonderful and beautiful bird. In
celebration we have arranged an afternoon tea next Thursday, to meet up and discuss your
experiences (see attached for details). So please come along. If you cannot make this event,
watch this space for details on the Great Cocky Count 2011 Report Launch Event which you are
all invited.
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The next step of course is to submit your finding, you can do this though the Birds Australia
online data portal, or by emailing or mailing me your data sheets.
Once again I apologise for the email confusion that happened last week, the Birds Australia
server went down and it made things bit crazy, so if I did not get in touch with you I am sorry.
Luckily it all seems sorted out now.
Once again congratulations and thank you for all your hard work.
Xander
The attachment:
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The Great Cocky Count 2011,
Email sent on 21/03/2011
The 2011 Great Cocky Count (GCC) was again an immense success. Of the 120 night roost
sites in the Greater Perth Region from the 2010 GCC, 109 were scheduled to be surveyed,
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unfortunately losing a few of the pine roosts to clearing. The survey now covers from
Esperance, Albany to above Yanchep. Together we have added additional 40 new roosts which
scheduled to be counted on April 7th
2011. Three quarters of these newly discovered roosts are
outside the Greater Perth region. We are also getting reports of roost on almost a daily basis. So
far 3,752 birds have been counted in the 2011 GCC.
However it is not all good news. A comparison across 72 repeated roosts suggests that the
average number of birds per roost is about half what it was last year. Making follow-up surveys
even more important need to determine exactly what is happening. We are, however, still
waiting on results from half the sites, so please get them in even if it is a 0 count.
So we are asking people to return to their sites on these evenings: 7th of May, 5th of June, 9th
of July and 7th of August. These dates are not strict but the more done simultaneously the
better.
Once again we apologise for the email issues before the count, the server went down and it we
lost a lot of contacts, so if we did not get in touch with you we are sorry.
Our knowledge of where this critical roosting habitat occurs is increasing with every survey
done. So many thanks to you all for your good work.
Birds Australia in partnership with the Department of Environment and Conservation
present the The Great Cocky Count 2011
E-news bulletin 8/03/2011
Hello Great Cocky Counters,
My name is Xander Kabat and I am thrilled to say that I have been appointed as the new Great
Cocky Count coordinator for Birds Australia in partnership with the Department of
Environment and Conservation for the 2011 survey. I thought I would take this opportunity to
say hi and tell you a little bit about me: I have been working with endangered animals for the
better part of the past 10 years. I have recently been working in the UK, investigating the
population decline of black-browed and grey-headed albatross, and doing population counts on
wandering albatross and several species of penguins. I am a keen traveler and photographer so if
I am ever on a survey with you just look for the guy with the camera!
Well enough about me, we have a lot to do before The Great Cocky Count 2011 on Thursday
the 7th of April. Many of you were involved in last year’s Great Cocky Count, which made it
such great success. That count helped us to better understand where Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos
roost at night. A copy of the Birds Australia / DEC report, which describes the results from the
2010 Great Cocky Count (GCC) is available from: www.birdsaustralia.com.au/carnabys.
We are once again asking you to help us with The Great Cocky Count 2011. The same counting
methods will be used as the 2010 GCC and we would like as many people as possible to revisit
their 2010 site on the 7th April 2011. If you recorded no birds last season we are happy to point
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you to another roost, but please keep an eye on your original roost to confirm that the birds are
not using it.
So if you want to be a part of The Great Cocky Count 2011 and can commit to that date, please
let me know as soon as possible. The sooner I know the better I will be able to find volunteers
to cover the roost sites that are not being counted this year.
However, the success of last year’s Cocky Count showed us that we know very little about
where birds are roosting outside of the Greater Perth region. This year to widen the focus of the
2011 survey we are interested hearing about roosts you may have seen outside of the Perth
Region. If you know of a night roost site anywhere from Perth to Albany, east to Esperance and
north to Geraldton, please let us know the location and roughly how many birds are using it. We
hope to be able to get volunteers to cover these sites as well, so spread the word and keep the
reports coming!
In 2011 we have a new tool that allows you to get the roost location with a click of a button. I
will send another email closer to time that will detail all the information that will be needed
including: How to do a roost count, datasheets, and instructions on how to use the new Birds
Australia Citizen Science online data portal.
If you are interested in being involved in the survey, or have identified a possible night roost
site, please send an email me (Xander Kabat) at [email protected] or
call/text 0404713866. To help me out please use “Great Cocky Count 2011 Volunteer” with
“Available or Not“ or “New Roost” in the subject line. Thanks again for your all your help with
last year’s Great Cocky Count, it was a very successful survey and the data have been extremely
useful. I hope you will be able to join us for another go this season and make it an even better
event.
Cheers
Xander
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Article in Walpole weekly 03/03/2011
Article in DEC Environment and Conservation News 26/05/2011
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Appendix 6. Volunteer documents
Several documents were provided to 2011 Great Cocky Count volunteers to assist with
completing the survey. These included:
Detailed information about the location of their site (including maps)
Great Cocky Count data sheet
Great Cocky Count data sheet completed example (see Appendix 4)
Volunteer registration form to meet Occupational Health & Safety requirements
Guidelines on how to use the Birds Australia (BirdLife Australia) Citizen Science
website
Birds Australia (BirdLife Australia) leaflet ‘The Etiquette of Birdwatching’.
Copies of these documents can be obtained by contacting the Great Cocky Count Coordinator at