Carnaby's Cockatoos could use
the revegetation areas of
minesites as habitat.
Image: iStockphoto

Recent controversy over the impact of landclearing on Carnaby's Cockatoos has emphasised the need for better understanding of how to conserve and restore habitat for this endangered species while allowing for other land uses.

Dr Hugh Finn of Murdoch University found some answers while studying black cockatoos at the Boddington Gold Mine (BGM) about 120km from Perth at the eastern edge of the jarrah forest.

With the loss of Carnaby's habitat in other areas of the South-West, the jarrah forest provides a critical long-term refuge for the species, while also supporting intensive mineral mining and timber production.

Dr Finn's project has focused on how to better integrate natural resource production and black cockatoo conservation by improving management of feeding and breeding habitat and water sources at BGM.

Dr Finn found that native birds frequently fed on native 'heath' vegetation such as banksia, dryandra, and hakea in rehabilitation areas at the minesite.

Dr Finn said these findings had important management implications for minesites in forest areas.

“This means that minesites like BGM can provide food resources for Carnaby's if they plan their revegetation strategies accordingly,” Dr Finn said.

Water is another key issue, because of the potential for Carnaby's to use residue disposal areas contaminated with cyanide used to process ore.

“The problem is that black cockatoos drink every day,” Dr Finn said. “If we can determine the areas they prefer to drink from, we can go a long way to prevent them using contaminated areas.”

“Carnaby's actually like to use some artificial water sources onsite, such as drainage sumps. These hold clean water all year round and have just the right combination of cover and openness, with a small section of surrounding vegetation and trees.

“Knowing this we can provide alternative drinking sources for cockatoos, as well as design areas around the new residue disposal so they don?t attract the cockatoo.”

Dr Finn said the findings could help conserve Carnaby's habitat elsewhere. For example, he suggested householders could plant native species in their backyard gardens to encourage the Carnaby's to return.

“Over the last 50 years we've extensively modified the Perth landscape to make it a better human habitat, now it's time to think about restoring some of the features that used to make it such good Carnaby's habitat.”