Motorists are strongly urged to be cautious when travelling on the South Coast Hwy and Chester Pass Road to avoid hitting Carnaby’s black cockatoos that are feeding on the side of the road in large flocks.
There have been many cockatoos hit and killed in the last few months which is devastating for an already endangered species. Areas where this is happening regularly is between Wellstead and Many Peaks and within and around the Stirling Range National Park.
Endemic to South West of Western Australia, the number of iconic Carnaby’s black cockatoo has declined by about 50 per cent in the past decade, mostly due to the loss of preferred habitat areas.
Through a project funded by the Australian Government Environmental Restoration Fund, South Coast NRM have been working in partnership with BirdLife Australia and other regional NRM groups across the southwest to improve the habitat values of black cockatoo nesting and feeding sites, which in turn have benefited fledgling survival rates.
With recovery actions boosting the number of breeding pairs across the south coast, we need your help to prevent this devastating loss from occurring on our roads.
For more information about the Black Cockatoo Recovery Program contact Sandra Gilfillan, Project Officer – WA Black Cockatoo, at (e) sandrag@southcoastnrm.com.au or (p) 9845 8537
IMAGE 1. Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo CREDIT: Susan Flashman