THE Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team and BirdLife Australia are calling on volunteers to take part in the annual count for the endangered south eastern birds on May 5.
“For over 20 years hundreds of volunteers have been combing the region’s stringy bark forests looking for flocks of our beautiful but elusive Red-tails,” project coordinator Bronwyn Perryman said.
“Participating in the count is easy – all you need is a survey partner or group, binoculars, a love of the bush and a vehicle, preferably a four-wheel dirve.”
Volunteer groups are allocated one of around 60 sites in forest within the Red-tail’s range to drive around, stopping at regular intervals to listen for its distinctive call.
Search locations are spread from Nelson to the Little Desert in Victoria and from Mount Gambier to Keith in South Australia.
“Landholders who have stringy bark on their property can also get involved and survey their own patch on the day,” Ms Perryman said.
Interested participants do not need bird survey experience, just a willingness to become familiar with what Red-tails look and sound like, as they can often be mistaken for the more common Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo.
A training session for count volunteers is held each year for new participants or those who want to brush up on their skills.
This year the training will be held in Casterton from 9am on the morning of the count.
The most important reason for counting cockatoos will identify the location of large flocks for further monitoring.
Flock counts are taken each year and provide an indication of breeding success in the previous season – they are the best measure of how the population is faring.
From now until May 5 anyone that sees Red-tails is encouraged to submit their sightings via email redtail@birdlife.org.au or freecall 1800 262 062.
Following the count all volunteers are encouraged to attend a barbecue and camp-out at Baileys Rocks.
