Nesting records of Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) from the Porongorup Range, south-west Western Australia

2013·2.2 MB·

by  Jeff Turpin

THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN
NATURALIST
Vol. 29 30th July 2013 No.l
NESTING RECORDS OF CARNABY’S COCKATOO
(CALYPTORHYNCHUS LATIROSTRIS) FROM
THE PORONGURUP RANGE, SOUTH-WEST
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
By JEFF TURPIN
6 Mount Dale View, Roleystone WA 6111
and SIMON CHERRIMAN
180 Glendower Street, Parkerville WA 6081
ABSTRACT
Observations of Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus
latirostris) in the Porongurup Range, Western Australia are
reported. Two breeding events were recorded: one in a
natural hollow in live Karri tree during 2008, and one
inside an artificial nest box, also in a live Karri, during 2011.
The birds (possibly the same pair) successfully reared one
chick on each occasion. Implications of the success of
artificial nest boxes in the region are discussed.
INTRODUCTION The species has a distribution
extending from Kalbarri to Cape
Carnaby’s Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus
Arid (Birds Australia 2012). Breed¬
latirostris) is a threatened, white¬
ing usually occurs in eucalypt
tailed black cockatoo, endemic
woodland, typically in the
to the south-west of Western Wheatbelt and Great Southern
Australia. Due to a significant regions of Western Australia
decline in range and abundance (Birds Australia 2012). After
over the past 50 years, it is listed breeding, the species moves to
as Endangered by Garnett et al. coastal areas and often form large
(2011) and under both state and flocks that wander in search of
national legislation. food (Cale 2003).
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Like other large cockatoo species, Porongurup Range, an area not
Carnaby’s Cockatoo is dependant traditionally known as a breed¬
on hollows in large, mature ing site.
eucalypt trees for nesting,
particularly Wandoo (Eucalyptus
wandoo), Salmon Gum (E. METHODS
salmonophloia), Gimlet (E. salubris) During November 2008 we
and York Gum (E. loxophleba; visited the Porongurup Range to
Johnstone and Storr 1998).
conduct bird surveys on private
Typical nesting trees are esti¬
property and to erect a large nest
mated to be 100-150 years old to
box suitable for black cockatoos.
have hollows large enough for
The property consisted of a 6 ha
the species to nest in (Johnstone
bush remnant situated adjacent
and Storr 1998).
to the Porongurup National
Nesting hollows may be located Park, on the southern slopes of
anywhere from 2 m to more than the Porongurup Range.
10 m from the ground. Hollows Vegetation comprised Karri
range in depth from 0.1 m to 0.5 (Eucalyptus diversicolor) forest on
m to more than 2.5 m, but most deep loams and Jarrah (E.
are between 0.5 m and 1.5-2 m marginata) / Marri (Corymbia
deep (Johnstone and Storr 1998). calophylla) forest on lateritic
gravels. Initial observations of
Due to the wide scale clearance
black cockatoo behaviour were
of feeding and breeding habitat,
competition for tree hollows made over a five day period in
from introduced and abundant November 2008. Subsequent
native species and fragmentation surveys of the area were
of feeding habitat near nesting conducted in December 2008,
sites, suitable breeding sites are July 2010, December 2011 and
becoming increasingly scarce. January 2012.
This paper documents the occur¬ A nest box large enough to be
rence of two nesting records of suitable as a black cockatoo
the Carnaby’s Cockatoo from the breeding site (see Table 1) was
.
Table 1 Dimensions of Carnaby’s Cockatoo Nesting Chambers. Measurements in
millimetres (mm).
Nest Tree Entrance width Internal Internal Chamber Height
(mm) Width Length depth above
ground
Vertical Slit Karri Slit: 90 mm x 480 mm 480 mm 1050 mm 15 m
700 mm
Nest Box Karri Hollow log: 220 mm 300 mm 370 mm 1300 mm 20 m
diameter
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installed in November 2008, vertically into the nest chamber.
approximately 20 m above Sacrificial chewing posts were
ground level (see Figure 1). The installed and a layer of leaf litter
box was hauled into position and wood chips added to the
using a rope pulley and attached chamber floor. The nest box
with hooks and a chain to the exterior was painted to provide
eastern side of a large Karri tree some protection against the
which flanked a small seasonal elements and to increase
creek, close to the Karri/Jarrah longevity.
forest ecotone. The nest box
consisted of a rectangular prism
RESULTS
made of 18 mm form ply with a
hollow Marri spout fixed to the Two Carnaby’s Cockatoo nesting
front for a horizontal entrance sites were recorded in two
(see Figure 1). Wire mesh was separate years. In November 2008
secured to the inside of the box one pair was observed at a
to allow animals to climb natural hollow in the side of a
Figure 1. Artificial nest box installed c. 20 m high in Karri tree in the Porongurup
Range study area.
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Karri tree, and the female was November 2008, which was fully
seen entering the hollow. A grown by 27 December 2008.
recently hatched chick was
The nest hollow (Figure 2) was a
observed in the tree hollow on 10 thin, vertical slit on the southern
side of a large Karri tree, ap¬
proximately 15 m above ground
level (see Table 1). Internally, the
nest chamber was 480mm in
diameter and 1050 mm deep.
The nesting site was revisited in
December 2011 and while no
nesting activity was observed
within the natural tree hollow, a
pair of Carnaby’s Cockatoos was
observed nesting within the
artificial nest box, approximately
40 m south of the 2008 site. A
fully grown chick was observed
within the nest box on 28
December 2011.
A pair of Carnaby’s Cockatoos
was reported roosting outside the
nest box regularly during the
2010 breeding season, and chew
marks on the entrance hollow of
the artificial nest box were noted
(J MacKinnon pers. comm.). These
observations indicate the nest
box may have also been used for
breeding in 2010. Nesting by the
Figure 2. Vertical entrance to nesting
Carnaby’s Cockatoo in the
hollow in a large Karri tree, used by
Carnaby’s Cockatoos in 2008 to survey area is summarised in
successfully rear one chick. Table 2.
Table 2. Nesting records of the Carnaby’s Cockatoo within the Porongurup
Range study area.
Year Species Comments
2008 Carnaby’s Cockatoo Nesting in Karri tree hollow (one chick)
2009 - No nesting records
2010 Carnaby’s Cockatoo Probable nesting in nest box (assumed from
observation by J. MacKinnon)
2011 Carnaby’s Cockatoo Nesting in Nest box (one chick)
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Observations of the adult Karri is likely to be due to the
cockatoos during 2008, 2011 and fact that the Carnaby’s Cockatoo
2012 revealed a similar feeding typically breeds in eucalypt
pattern. In early November when woodland occurring in areas
the chick was still covered in with 350-700 mm annual rain¬
natal down, the female remained fall, and Karri forest generally
inside the hollow for much of occurs in areas of high rainfall
the day. Later, when the chick exceeding 900 mm annually
was fully grown (late November, (Maher et al. 2010). The
December and January) both Porongurup Range is one of only
adults left the nest site and a few areas of Karri to lie outside
remained absent for the whole the 900 mm rainfall zone, the
day, returning to roost near the occurrence of Karri there is
nest on or after sunset. attributed to soil moisture
storage being supplemented by
run-off from adjacent granite
DISCUSSION outcrops (Maher et al 2010).
There are few accounts of Three species of black cockatoo
Carnaby’s Cockatoo nesting in occur in the Porongurup Range
Karri trees and few accounts of area. Carnaby’s Cockatoo occurs
the species nesting in the in the area regularly, as does the
Porongurup area (Groom 2010). similar Baudin’s Cockatoo
The Recovery Plan for Carnaby’s (Calyptorhynchus baudinii) and
Black Cockatoo (Cale 2003) list Forest Red-tailed Cockatoo (C.
Salmon Gum and Wandoo as the banksii naso). Baudin’s Cockatoo
primary breeding trees for the typically occurs in the wet
species and limited breeding in forests of the deep south-west
Red Morrell (E. longicornis), York and is known to breed in Karri
Gum (E. loxophleba), Tuart (E. (Johnstone and Kirkby 2008).
gomphocephala), Flooded Gum (E. Baudin’s Cockatoo may breed in
rudis), Gimlet (E. salubris), Swamp the Porongurup area, however
Yate (E. occidentalis) and Marri the Porongurup Range is an
(Corymbia calophylla). The West¬ island outlier of Karri occurring
ern Australian Museum has on the edge of its distribution. As
unpublished details of birds a result, the Porongurup area
breeding in Karri at some sites in may be more suitable for
the south-west including Carnaby’s Cockatoo, which is
Porongurup area, Denmark, more widespread throughout the
Walpole, Frankland and region.
Margaret River (Ron Johnstone
The lack of breeding records for
pers. comm.), however Carnaby’s the Porongurup area may
Cockatoo generally occurs less indicate that Carnaby’s Cockatoo
frequently in Karri forests (Cale
is a relatively recent breeding
2003). visitor to the Porongurup Range,
The lack of breeding records in perhaps as a result of loss of
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breeding habitat further inland. pairs of the species. We will
This species is increasingly look¬ continue to regularly monitor
ing further afield for nesting the nesting sites and conduct
trees and may now be using Karri further surveys in the
(Ron Johnstone pers. comm.). Porongurup area to determine
Carnaby’s Cockatoo show no how widespread nesting is in the
preference for the aspect of area.
natural hollows (Saunders 1979).
It appears that the aspect of
nesting sites is not important, at ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
least in our survey area. The tree
Thanks to Judy MacKinnon for
hollow faces south, while the
her observations on the two
nest box faces north and they are
nesting sites, and to John Dell
situated only 40 m apart.
and Ron Johnstone for
The length of time taken to comments on an early draft of
recruit replacement tree hollows, the manuscript.
coupled with ongoing clearing
and the species dependence on
large areas of suitable feeding REFERENCES
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