Drivers along streets in Murdoch, a suburb of Perth, are being urged to watch out for black cockatoos in an effort to reduce the number of birds being hit by traffic.
Ten new road signs featuring the bird’s iconic silhouette have been installed on the streets surrounding Murdoch University, where vital research and action projects are being conducted to save the endangered species.
One such project demonstrated a high concentration of black cockatoo movement in and around the Murdoch campus, triggering the need for additional signage.
All three species of threatened black cockatoo — Carnaby’s, Baudin’s and forest red-tailed — inhabit urban and peri-urban areas in the Perth-Peel region on a seasonal basis.
The birds often feed or drink on or near the ground close to roads, but being large birds, black cockatoos are often slow to take off when startled, putting them in the path of vehicles and making them vulnerable to vehicle strike.
Murdoch University has been working closely with Main Roads Western Australia across a variety of areas, such as providing advice on types of vegetation to plant on road verges to discourage cockatoos from foraging and raising awareness about black cockatoos amongst motorists.
Lead researcher Kris Warren, from Murdoch’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Harry Butler Institute, said the installation of the signs played an important role in the prevention of unnecessary deaths and injury to the birds.
“Vehicle strike is a major threat to black cockatoos, often they are feeding in small shrubs on the verge or drinking water that has pooled near the kerbs after rain,” Prof Warren said.
“When vehicles approach, the birds are disturbed and take flight, but because they are large, they are often slower to depart than motorists anticipate and end up being hit by approaching or oncoming traffic.
“With more and more black cockatoos having to navigate urban areas due to habitat loss and increasing urban development, it is so important that motorists are aware and slow down safely when they see them, and these new road signs are a great step forward in encouraging this behaviour.”
Away from Perth in the state’s south-west, fallen grain from uncovered trucks is attracting cockatoos to the roadside.
Main Roads is working with CBH and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to ensure grain is enclosed appropriately while being transported.
Main Roads has supported black cockatoo research and conservation for five years, providing valuable funds towards Murdoch’s Black Cockatoo Conservation Management Project, which is conducting groundbreaking health and ecological investigations.
Environment manager Martine Scheltema said in addition to contributing financially, Main Roads was committed to taking action to minimise the impact of motorists and road infrastructure on black cockatoos.
Ten years ago, revegetation works were undertaken along Tonkin Highway near Perth Airport. However, the banksias that were planted grew so well that they began to attract black cockatoos, and unfortunately some birds succumbed to vehicle strike.
Ms Scheltma and her team acted quickly to remove the tempting treats by cutting the flowers off the banksia trees.
Main Roads will eventually replant the area and remove the banksias. In the meantime, the flowers are being devoured by residents of the Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre.
In recent years, populations of WA’s black cockatoos have been estimated at 40,000 for Carnaby's, 15,000 for forest red-tailed black, and just 12,000 for Baudin's.
But the reality is that the numbers are likely much lower and, without intervention, we risk losing the iconic birds forever.
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