Residents urged to help cockatoo tracking project

Inner city residents are being asked to assist a cockatoo tracking project being conducted by the University of Sydney in conjunction with the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Cockatoo Wingtag project aims to see how many sulphur-crested cockatoos call the Botanic Gardens home, and find out how far they travel to find food.

The initiative sees the iconic parrots fitted with a bright yellow plastic, numbered tag, which is attached to a birds’ wing. Residents are encouraged to report sightings of the numbered birds, which have been appearing all over Inner Sydney and beyond.

66 cockatoos have so far been fitted with tags at the Botanic Gardens since tagging began in late 2010, with some sightings coming in from as far afield as Manly, Lindfield, Bardwell Park and Kellyville.

Mr Adrian Davis, a PhD Candidate from the University of Sydney and convenor of the project, said Cockatoo Wingtag was an ongoing initiative which would give researchers a greater understanding of the birds’ ecology.

“Surprisingly little is known about cockatoos’ behaviour and range, considering they’re such a well-known example of Australian wildlife,” he said.

Mr Davis said with cockatoo numbers growing in Inner Sydney, it was especially important to understand more about the birds.

“Cockatoos have always been present in the Sydney region but were formerly more numerous out west, on the plains. In recent decades they’ve become more prominent in the city, attracted by plentiful water and the diversity of different seeds,” he said.

“Knowing more about their behaviour will help us live harmoniously with these beautiful animals,  so we’re encouraging more people to become cockatoo spotters and report their sightings.”

Mr Davis feared the growing number of inner city cockatoos could again raise the spectre of a cockatoo cull in the Potts Point area.

In 2011, body corporates of apartment blocks in Greenknowe Ave and Macleay St called for cockatoos to be culled, due to the propensity of some cockatoos to eat mortar and timber, damaging apartment block facades and windowsills.

Mr Davis said a cull was not necessary to mitigate any damage.

“There are some minerals in mortar which can be attractive to cockatoos but usually the problem resolves itself and the birds move on after a short time,” he said.

“We urge people not to feed birds from their balconies or windows as this encourages them to see apartment blocks as a source of food,” he added.

Mr Davis said low-voltage electronic strips which deter birds could be bought for windowsills.

Potts Point & Kings Cross Heritage Conservation Society president Andrew Woodhouse and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore agreed with Mr Davis.

“We recommend other methods of controlling problem cockatoos, such as installing the metal spikes which are used to deter pigeons,” said Mr Woodhouse.

“Cockatoos are protected in NSW,” noted Ms Moore. “I don’t believe culling is the right response to this issue.”

Residents wanting to assist the Cockatoo Wingtag project can email cockatoo.wingtag@gmail.com or join the group on Facebook.