Help Protect Australia's Cockatoos
Australia's cockatoos are facing an uncertain future.
The Gang-gang Cockatoo and South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo are both listed as endangered but continue to face threats from habitat destruction, climate change, bushfires and the removal of vital nesting trees.
What makes these birds especially vulnerable is that the habitat they depend on is irreplaceable.
South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoos rely on Buloke and Stringybark woodlands, much of which has already been cleared. Gang-gang Cockatoos depend on mature forests and large hollow-bearing trees for nesting. The nesting hollows these birds use can take hundreds …
Help Protect Australia's Cockatoos
Australia's cockatoos are facing an uncertain future.
The Gang-gang Cockatoo and South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo are both listed as endangered but continue to face threats from habitat destruction, climate change, bushfires and the removal of vital nesting trees.
What makes these birds especially vulnerable is that the habitat they depend on is irreplaceable.
South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoos rely on Buloke and Stringybark woodlands, much of which has already been cleared. Gang-gang Cockatoos depend on mature forests and large hollow-bearing trees for nesting. The nesting hollows these birds use can take hundreds of years to form, while many of their food trees are more than a century old. Protecting irreplaceable nesting habitats has never been more important.
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) has the power to identify habitat critical to the survival of a species and determine that it must not be destroyed. Under EPBC, a well-prepared and implemented Recovery Plan is one of the most important tools available to prevent extinction. But Recovery Plans only work if they are up to date and backed by clear and robust language, free from loopholes to ensure the intended protections are upheld. Critically, plans must be implemented alongside sustainable funding and accountability.
This month, the government is seeking feedback on the draft Recovery Plans for two iconic species. We have an opportunity to protect these birds by preventing further clearing of mature nesting and feeding habitat. Fully funded recovery actions could secure the future for Australia’s emblematic cockatoos.
Use our online action tool to make a submission now and let decision makers know these iconic birds need stronger recovery plans to ensure their survival for generations to come.