The location and breeding of the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo remain a mystery, and monitoring is vital to ensure the survival of this iconic Australian bird species.
Using eco acoustic technology to inform conservation decisions
The Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo is an Australian pink and white parrot that is vulnerable to extinction. These parrots inhabit the remote outback and forage in large flocks. However, their numbers have reduced due to severe drought and have not recovered even with recent rainfall. Other threats to this species include illegal poaching, predation by feral animals and vegetation clearing - particularly old growth trees required for their large nest hollows. We need to monitor them thoroughly, but intensive traditional bird surveys aren’t feasible in the outback.
By using eco acoustic technology, we will develop call recognisers to scan and find calls in recorded soundscapes automatically. By monitoring their calls, we will be able to estimate the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo abundance, map their movements and breeding hollows, and save this iconic species from extinction.
Your gift will help:
- provide vital ecological information on the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo in the Mulga Lands of western Queensland
- deploy acoustic monitoring to guide future conservation action and protection
- estimate their abundance and map their movements, so we can save this iconic species.
The real-world impact of your gift
Your gift will go towards improved monitoring to save the Major Mitchell's Cockatoo from extinction.
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