Australia's biggest native bird count has shown numbers of the threatened Carnaby’s black cockatoo have increased in suburban and outer metro areas.
However Birdlife Australia said this was more likely due to a higher turnout in volunteers for this year’s count, as the species’ population continues to be threatened.
The 2016 Great Cocky Count, organised by Birdlife Australia in April, saw more than 700 registered volunteers count bird populations at 426 sites across the state.
The cockatoo count was expanded this year to more regional areas in order to gather more accurate statistics of how birds’ migratory populations are affected across the state.
According to Birdlife Australia, the results collected this year show populations of native cockatoos – white-tail black cockatoos and forest red-tailed black-cockatoos, as well as Carnaby’s – have frequently moved to new habitats due to bushfires and clearing, including a group of almost 5,000 Carnaby’s which have recently migrated to the Pinjar Pine Plantation.
The “mega-roost”, as it has been dubbed , was counted by Birdlife members at 4,897, the biggest population of Carnaby’s in one place in the past 50 years.
“It’s likely that the lessening of the habitats available has lead to the increased numbers in the flock,” Birdlife WA Carnaby’s project coordinator Adam Peck said.
“Fifty years ago we used to see flocks reaching that number, but it’s more likely that this is due to their being less and less roosting and feeding sites available, forcing separate flocks to combine.”
Mr Peck said the 2016 count saw more volunteers added to the program, showing community interest in protecting threatened bird species was increasing.
“We believe that this demonstrates the importance of the remaining pine plantations as a food and roosting resource.
“As more clearing and bushfires reduce the habitat available to birds, the value of what is left increases.”
Birdlife WA are currently working on the full report of the 2016 Great Cocky Count, which is expected to be released in September.