The call has gone out seeking volunteers to join a survey to help save the decline in Glossy Black Cockatoo numbers. 

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is seeking volunteer cockatoo counters to be part of the next Great Inland Glossy Count this month.

“With their distinctive red tail panels, glossy black cockatoos are one of Australia’s most recognisable and stunning birds,” said NPWS Senior Project Officer, Adam Fawcett. 

“With this beautiful bird listed as vulnerable in NSW, the count is part of a wider project to conserve the species at three key sites: the Pilliga Forests, Goonoo National Park and Goobang National Park and surrounding landscapes.

“By volunteering your eyes and ears, you'll be helping scientists to monitor the size and extent of the glossy population across these
areas, which will help us to better protect this iconic species for future generations.”

The annual project is funded by the NSW Government's Saving our Species program and the NSW Environmental Trust and is led by  Central West Local Land Services in partnership with National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Forest Corporation, Dubbo Field Naturalists, Australia Wildlife Conservancy, and other land managers.

"If you've got some birdwatching experience that’s great, but the glossy is a very distinctive species and easily identified,"  added Mr Fawcett.

“All you need is a pair of binoculars, a comfy chair and a notepad.

“It’s a pretty fantastic way to spend a summer evening, perched by a water hole in a beautiful national park, watching glossies and other native birds in their natural habitat." 

NPWS say that the results from previous  counts have been variable, with the 2019 count occurring at the end of the last drought but before the La Nina kicked off.

“This resulted in a concentration of glossies on many of the target waterholes and large numbers observed in both the Pilliga and Goonoo,” Mr Fawcett said.

“The numbers in 2021 and 2022 have been less impressive, but generally consistent in both the Pilliga and Goonoo." 

This result is most likely due to the large amount of free water in the landscape which has had the opposite effect to the drought, allowing the glossies to disperse across the landscape.

“Across the three years our volunteers have put in over 990 hours. This is an amazing effort and we seriously could not have completed the count without their assistance.”

IMAGE: A male Glossy Black Cockatoo in flight. [Jake Hansen 2.2.2022] 

Birdwatchers

Volunteer members of the Pilliga Forest Birdwatchers have taken part in previous glossy-black counts and will be stepping up again this
year.

“Based on the conditions in the Pilliga, it is hoped that the glossies are doing well in the forest," said May Whittall, lead member of the Pilliga Forest Birdwatchers.

“The favourable wet conditions have had a positive impact on the vegetation growith of the Pilliga Forest, specifically the she-oak
food varieties, and general water availability for the glossies, as they need to drink every day. The wet conditions have obviously reduced the wildfire activity significantly which is another key threat to the glossy-black cockatoos." 

The first Pilliga Glossy Count was launched in 2014 by well-known Baradine ‘birdo’ David Johnston who also started the Pilliga Forest
Birdwatchers. Although David passed away more than 12 months ago, this local birdwatching group continue to play a valuable
role in monitoring native bird species in the forest and surrounds.

Mrs Whittall said it is vital to arrest the disappearance of any native birds, with a particular focus on the glossy black cockatoo. 

“This species faces a number of threats but the primary driver is habitat loss across much of its range,” she said.

“The forest has dried significantly in the past few months, which will enable increased vehicle accessibility and draw the glossies to the water sources; dams, hopefully.”

IMAGE: Volunteers will be allocated a dam to relax at and record Glossy Black Cockatoos as they come into drink. [M. Whittall] 

The Great Inland Glossy Count took place in the Pilliga Forest on Saturday, 18 February and will continue in the Goonoo National Park on Saturday, 25 February.

"The success of the  count is heavily reliant on volunteers and we are never able to have all the dams surveyed across the forest as there are more dams than volunteers!" concluded Mrs Whittall.

To register for the count volunteers should log into the VIP portal app.betterimpact.com/Login/, NATIONALPARKS.NSW.GOV.AU OR contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Goonoo National Park Glossy count will take place on Saturday 25 February 2023. Sign up by 5pm, Wednesday 22 February 2023.