Monitoring of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos

 

Cocky counters excel in 2008 annual count

Results from the Saturday May 3rd Annual Count of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo are the best recorded since counting commenced in 1996.  One of five subspecies of red-tailed black-cockatoo across Australia, the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is the only subspecies listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act 1999.  The annual count assists the recovery team with monitoring of the size and distribution of the population.  Almost 100 volunteer groups from across South Australia and Victoria set off on the day in anticipation of hearing the bird’s call and sighting the brilliant combination of crimson, black and burnt orange/yellow plumage.  While some record sheets are yet to be returned about 1350 birds have been recorded to date.  The previous best record was 1078 birds recorded in 2006.  More than 60% of birds were sighted in the Casterton area.  Continuing dry weather has made the birds dependent on artificial waters with most of the Casterton birds counted as they were coming into stock troughs to drink on dusk. 

 

Population estimates based on the count vary from year to year.  While the previous best figure was 1078 birds recorded in 2006, only 801 birds were recorded in 2007.  This is not attributed to a sudden decline in the population.  Weather conditions can influence the success of the count as very windy conditions make it difficult to hear and locate birds.  Perfect weather certainly contributed to the success of the 2008 count.  In addition lots of pre-count volunteer input from long time Casterton volunteer, Dick Cooper and Field Biologist Richard Hill, ensured that volunteers were placed at 7 drinking sites around Casterton where they could successfully count flocks ranging in size from 233 birds to 32.    Other large flocks were recorded in Victoria with 239 birds counted near the South Australian border just west of Coonawarra.  Congratulations to Max Arney of Penola who took out the coveted Annual Counter award for this record.  110 birds were counted in Penola Forest Reserve near Nangwarry in South Australia.  

Over the coming weeks the project’s field biologist, Richard Hill will collect flock count data to determine the success of the previous breeding season.  Thanks to a great team of volunteers for their outstanding efforts on the day.  If you’re interested in registering your interest in next year’s count please contact the Project Coordinator via rtbc@birdsaustralia.com.au.

 

Each year members of the recovery team and volunteers collect a range of information which assist us to assess how Red Tail populations are performing.

Max Arney (far left) showing other cocky counters where all the birds were

This includes the annual count in which we count the entire range in one day, reporting sightings of Red Tails all year round, and measuring the growth and survival rates of chicks to measure nesting success. Now detailed ‘flock counts’ are used as the main measure of nesting success, the number of young birds which have been produced each year.

Flock counts are done in autumn each year. Because young Red Tails are indistinguishable in the field from two and three-year old birds and from females of any age, we count the number of adult males in each flock. Adult males are recognisable by their uniform black colour and red tail feathers. All other Red Tails are spotted and barred, with barred tail feathers. The proportion of adult males in flocks in autumn varies from year to year, according to how many young birds have been produced in the preceding breeding season. More successful nesting means more young birds, thus a lower proportion of adult males. Flock counts have shown us that the breeding seasons of 2004-05 and 1998-1999 produced far more young birds than any intervening years. In those two years flocks contained an average of 37% adult males in autumn.

Photo; Wayne Bigg, Mt Gambier

Photo; Rob Drummond, Hamilton

Annual Counts

Every year, a group of over 100 enthusiastic volunteers spend one day driving through thousands of kilometres of stringybark forest. 

2007 annual count report

The annual count was held on Saturday April 28th in pretty good conditions. Whilst it was a bit cool and rain earlier in the week had made some tracks a bit tricky, the day was calm and made for good Red Tail listening.
Those who took part in the count or who saw media articles directly after the count, will know that there was a surprising drop in the numbers counted, but the initial number has been lifted slightly following a couple of late entries. At first we had reported a total of a mere 675 Red Tails throughout the range, compared to last years record number of 1078. This number has now been increased to a total of 801.

While the number counted is the lowest we have seen for several years it is not to say that the birds have actually suffered a population dive since last years count. It’s more likely that we just missed the birds in the scrub.

And as those who have been out looking for Red Tails can testify, missing the birds is easily done. Red Tails roam from the Lower Glenelg National Park up to Keith and from Lucindale to Balmoral and finding the approximately 1000 birds in a total possible area of 18,000 km2 is always going to be a bit hit and miss. We do trim down the area by holding the event after bulokes have dropped their seed. This means that all the Red Tails will be in stringybark forest, so at least we don’t have to look in the buloke areas.

It’s still a huge area and we will never be assured of counting all the birds. For example, from recent sightings, we were reasonably sure that a large mob of up to 200 would be found in the Lower Glenelg National Park but come the count, nobody found them and subsequent searches by the Recovery Team and Parks Vic have failed to find them. Oh well, that’s Cocky counting! And even though we can’t count all the Red Tails, the Annual Count is still important because it gives more than just an indication of population size. By taking this snapshot across the range, we get a better understanding of the preferred habitat and use this information in helping to target future conservation works.

While the number of Red Tails counted was down, the number of volunteers has again climbed. This year 190 volunteers took part. Some travelled from as far as Adelaide and Melbourne, but the majority of those involved were from within region. Many of the volunteers were local landholders surveying their own properties; others were supplied with a map and instructions on how best to spot Red Tails. It’s a great family outing and adds to knowledge about the bird and its needs.

The big winner region in this years count was along the SA/Vic border near Penola and Nangwarry. Locals, Max Arney and Jim Childs saw the most birds. Max spotted 299 birds including 157 in one flock, and Jim saw a mob of 150. Both men have a long interest in the birds and like many other participants, have been involved in the count for most of the past 11 years.

The Baileys Rocks (just north of Dergholm) camp out on the Saturday night was another success and for all those who didn’t see a Red Tail during the day, the campers were rewarded by a group of three that flew over at sunset and again at sunrise. I was particularly pleased as, after 10 years of taking part in the count, it was the first time I had seen Red Tails on the actual count day!

 

2006 Annual Count Report

Thanks to a great team of 155 volunteers, new and old, 1078 Red-tailed Black-Cockies were counted this year.  Coordinated by Birds Australia, the count was conducted on April 29th across the birds range, south-east South Australia and south-west Victoria.  Volunteers travelled from as far away as Mildura, Melbourne, Adelaide and Langhorne Creek.  2,500km of stringybark tracks were traversed on the day - no mean feat considering the cost of fuel. 
316 Red-tails were recorded in South Australia.  762 were spotted in Victoria.   Some large flocks were counted this year including 110 at Wandilo Native Forest Reserve, 58 at Lucindale and 50 near Struan.  A flock of 221 Red-tails was just over the SA/Vic border on the Victorian side - in Lower Glenelg National Park.  Other flocks in Victoria included 86 at Rennick State Forest and 214 at Chetwynd. 
This is an encouraging result, an increase on last years figure of 952 birds. Congratulations and thanks to the many landholders and others that volunteered all or part of their Saturday to participate in the count. 

2005 Annual Count Report

On May 1 2005, 119 volunteers covered over 2000 km in stringybark to find 952 Red-tails.  Volunteers cover 59 individual sites across the Red-tail range, noting where and when the birds were seen and what they were doing.  Following the annual count, the data is checked to ensure that the same birds aren't being recorded at more than one site.  Annual count results this year are the highest recorded to date.  Results from flock counts which give us an idea of the level of new recruitment into the population are promising and suggest that the 2004/05 breeding season may have seen good recruitment of juvenile birds into the population. If you would like to find out more about the annual count or register interest in participating in 2006, please email:rtbc@birdsaustralia.com.au or telephone 1800 262 062

Karak counting with volunteers on May 1

Year	Season	Total
1996	Summer	436
1997	Summer	300
1998	Summer	385
1998	Winter	632
2000	Summer	452
2001	Summer	686
2002	Autumn	679
2003	Autumn	785
2004	Autumn	726
2005	Autumn	952
2006	Autumn	1078
2007	Autumn	801

2007 Count

2006 Count

2005 Count

2002 Count

Summer 2000

Winter 1999

Count 1999

1998 Count