Glossy Black-cockatoo Recovery Program
Now extinct on mainland Australia, the nationally endangered Glossy Black-cockatoo subspecies Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus has its last refuge on Kangaroo Island.
The Kangaroo Island Glossy Black-cockatoo Recovery Program is one of Australia’s leading examples of how good governance, strategic planning, community commitment and appropriate resourcing can effectively reverse the decline of a critically endangered species.
Reasons for the glossies decline include past clearance of vegetation, which has dramatically reduced critical drooping sheoak feeding habitat and large, hollow-bearing trees needed for nesting. These losses have been compounded by competition for remaining tree hollows from other species, including feral honey bees, little corellas and galahs, together with an over-abundance of common brushtail possums, a natural nest predator that eats eggs and nestlings, significantly reducing breeding success.
The recovery program started in 1995 with less than 160 Glossy Black-cockatoos in existence and has nursed the population back from the brink of extinction, doubling the population of glossies on Kangaroo Island to over 360 birds and helping them to spread eastwards across the island.
Impact of the 2019-2020 Bushfires
Unfortunately a devastating fire significantly impacted much Glossy Black-cockatoo habitat on Kangaroo Island during the summer of 2019-2020. Assessments of habitat and the cockatoo population are continuing and recovery activities are underway. For the latest update see the most recent edition of the recovery program's newsletter, Chewings.
All recovery program activities are guided by the Glossy Black-cockatoo Recovery Plan, a strategic document developed by technical experts that describes the objectives, strategies and performance targets of the recovery program. The recovery program is also advised by the expert and experienced Glossy Black-cockatoo Recovery Team.
The main focus of the program has been planting drooping sheoaks for the birds to feed on, protecting hollow-bearing trees from invaders and conducting nest maintenance to improve breeding success. Post-bushfire recovery will be a significant focus of the program in coming years.
How Your Donation Can Help
We invite you to donate (once-off or regular monthly debit) to the Glossy Black-cockatoo Recovery Program to:
- help with habitat recovery after the devastating 2019/2020 bushfires on Kangaroo Island
- ensure this iconic species persists in South Australia and expands to the mainland
- support valued wildlife relied on by Kangaroo Island’s nature based tourism industry, which underpins the local economy
- maintain the unique wildlife of Kangaroo Island for the appreciation of all who live and visit here
- support the stewardship efforts of the Kangaroo Island community
- address key knowledge gaps to improve recovery efforts
- refine recovery techniques for use Australia-wide.
Help save and protect the Kangaroo Island Glossy Black-cockatoo population by donating to our Glossy Black-cockatoo Rescue Fund. Your contribution - no matter how small - will help fund vital conservation work.
Donate online or contact Nature Foundation on 08 8340 2880 or [email protected].