Not long ago, vast flocks of Carnaby’s cockatoos would darken the skies over Perth. These striking birds, native to Western Australia, once thrived across the region’s eucalypt forests and banksia woodlands.
But decades of habitat destruction and Australia’s driest and hottest period on record are now pushing the species to the brink of extinction. Despite warnings from scientists, efforts to reverse their decline remain minimal.
Peter Mawson, a research associate with Western Australia’s biodiversity department, remembers when Carnaby’s cockatoos were a common sight.
“Sometimes, I see people make comments on social media that they’ve seen a flock of 100 Carnaby’s cockatoos and they’re really chuffed at that, because normally you see them in 10s or 20s,” he said. “But when I was a small boy collecting firewood with my father not far from where I grew up it was not uncommon to see flocks of 3,000 to 5,000 birds fly overhead.
“Most people I talk to have never seen a flock of that size, just because they’re not from my generation.”
These large black birds, with their distinctive white cheek patches and tail bands, are endemic to the state, ranging from Kalbarri in the mid-west to Cape Arid in the south. They can live up to 35 years in the wild—longer than most birds, aside from species like albatrosses and shearwaters.
However, their reproductive strategy makes them vulnerable. Carnaby’s cockatoos mature late, raise few chicks, and suffer low juvenile survival rates. Their nesting relies on old trees with deep hollows—habitats that have rapidly disappeared since the 1950s, cleared to make way for agriculture and expanding cities.
Invasive species and a bounty program that lasted until 1982, designed to protect pine plantations, hastened the decline. Between 1963 and 2008, their population was halved, and the birds vanished from a third of their former range. Today, Mawson estimates there may be as few as 20,000 remaining.
Despite growing concern, threats from logging, invasive species, and land clearing continue, often with little regulation. Now, the climate crisis is compounding the pressure. A recent study published in Pacific Conservation Biology highlights that since 2009, Carnaby’s cockatoos have been further stressed by declining rainfall and shifting seasonal patterns in southwestern WA.
Mawson, a co-author of the study, explains how these changes have disrupted the birds’ breeding cycles. Where nesting would typically conclude by December, chicks are now being raised well into January and February—the hottest time of year. These extreme temperatures pose significant risks to young birds.
“Once the ambient temperature reaches 35C outside it is too hot for the parents to fly around and gather food,” he said. “If you’re a nestling that’s meant to grow on two feeds a day but you’re only getting fed once, you either just don’t get out of the nest at all or you come out underdone – you’re smaller, you’re lighter.”
He noted a stark decline in breeding activity at Coomallo Creek, a key nesting site between Perth and Geraldton. The past 18 months have been particularly devastating, with Perth experiencing its driest summer on record. Between October 2023 and May 2024, less than 40mm of rain fell in critical catchment areas. This drought triggered widespread die-offs of native vegetation, reducing the availability of flowers and fruit essential to the cockatoos and other wildlife.
Mandy Bamford, president of BirdLife Australia in Perth, says the cumulative impact of small-scale urban development is also a major concern. While individual projects may not require approval, collectively they destroy vital habitat. Combined with climate stress, this ongoing clearing could lead to another population crash.
“I’m very concerned,” she said. “I think we need to stop clearing and we need to start replanting and that is urgent.
“ [Perth] is the only part of the world where you have these enormous black cockatoos. People love them and I think the people of Perth do not want to lose them. But they occur in areas where people want houses and people want to mine for and develop aluminium, and then you have a conflict.
“I’m very concerned,” she said. “I think we need to stop clearing and we need to start replanting and that is urgent.
“ [Perth] is the only part of the world where you have these enormous black cockatoos. People love them and I think the people of Perth do not want to lose them. But they occur in areas where people want houses and people want to mine for and develop aluminium, and then you have a conflict.
Despite the grim outlook, community-led conservation efforts are offering a glimmer of hope. Volunteers, including students, are helping to mitigate the loss of natural nesting sites by building and installing artificial nest hollows. These man-made tubes replicate tree cavities that would take centuries to form naturally.
One standout contributor is Eva Czislowski. In 2021, at just 16, she organised a program at Shenton College that mobilised 60 students to create artificial nests. Since graduating and pursuing a degree in social and environmental sustainability at the University of Western Australia, she has continued the work through the charity Carnaby’s Crusaders. So far, their efforts have resulted in 19 new chicks being born.
“People just volunteered to have these hollows installed on their properties,” she said, adding: “My generation is incredibly angry – we must hold politicians accountable, but we must also act, ourselves.”
Dean Arthurell, from Carnaby’s Crusaders, said artificial hollows were a “wonderful” innovation that could “bolster” the population, but warned: “If these birds don’t have enough habitat, it’s all pointless.”
BirdLife Australia and other conservation groups also encourage Perth residents to plant native species like banksia and hakea, which are vital food sources for the black cockatoos. While these grassroots actions are essential, experts stress that broader, systemic support is urgently needed to protect and restore the species’ remaining habitat and secure their future.
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