![]() ![]() We have extended this research to include the other populations on Cape York Peninsula to see whether they are connected enough to buffer the east coast population from decline. ![]() On this basis palm cockatoos were declared Vulnerable by the Australia Government which led to greater legal protection. Females were shown to lay only one egg every two years on average, and that one egg only had a 20% chance of leading to a fledgling. This population was shown to be in steep decline due to very low rates of reproduction. The initial emphasis was on breeding biology and ecology of palm cockatoos in the rainforests of the north east coast. Members of our team have been researching this species since 1999. We climb the trees when safe but use cameras mounted on tall poles to see inside the nests when the wood is too old or rotten to support our weight. They are shy and elusive and all but impossible to catch, necessitating alternative methods for studying them, and lots of patience! Only by understanding their movements and behaviour intimately have we been able to approach, observe and gain precious DNA samples for population genetic analysis. They only occur in the small bands of woodland adjacent to rainforest. Palm cockatoos are found in remote parts of Cape York Peninsula 10-20 hours drive north of Cairns. Our project explores this remarkable behaviour and the aspects of intelligence required to make and use tools in such a human-like fashion. They then grasp the drumsticks in one foot and beat them against a hollow trunk as part of their display to females. The males make drumsticks by breaking off a branch, stripping the foliage and trimming to appropriate length. Palm cockatoos are the only non-human species that manufactures and uses a sound tool. ![]() We study the demography and dynamics of the entire population on Cape York Peninsula and the causes of their decline including large scale habitat loss from mining, changed fire regimes and low reproductive success. Palm cockatoos are large, charismatic and emblematic birds of northern Australia and New Guinea yet our research suggests they are in steep decline. Rob Heinsohn receives funding from the Australian Research Council.Conservation and tool use in palm cockatoos Zdenek receives funding from the Australian Research Council and has worked as a biological consultant for both a mining company and ecological consulting company on Cape York Peninsula. How Māori knowledge could help New Zealanders turn their concern for the environment into actionĬhristina N. We discovered why giant pandas are black and white: here’s how Zdenek, The University of Queensland and Rob Heinsohn, Australian National University. A unique collaboration between academics and journalists. This article is republished from The Conversation is the world's leading publisher of research-based news and analysis. To bring them back from the edge, we must work quickly to figure out why and where their breeding survival rates are so low, improve how we use fire, and protect their habitat and the all-important old trees. They’re magnificent birds with unique behaviour and a surprising number of parallels with humans, such as drumming, blushing, tool-making, and their “Hello” call. Even after watching them for 20 years, we have not tired of their company. We’ve also found that palmies go quiet during nesting and are super wary of humans, making finding their nesting hollows especially difficult.ĭespite all the challenges in saving them, it is worthwhile. Hunting for their nests is time consuming and expensive because palmies can lay their egg any day in an eight month breeding season, with pairs often switching among several hollows on their territories. We’ve researched these birds for over two decades, and can confidently say that birds don’t come any harder to study than palmies. We also need better ways of detecting their nest hollows. We can reduce the damage done if skilled ecologists survey proposed clearance areas ahead of time.Īnother vital step towards keeping this species alive is to broadly assess and protect as much as possible of the remaining palm cockatoo breeding habitat on Cape York. Though long saved by distance, Cape York is now seeing strip-mining, road building, and quarrying, which all contribute to habitat loss. Read more: It's not too late to save them: 5 ways to improve the government's plan to protect threatened wildlife A return to the traditional cool burns employed by indigenous people from the Uutaalnganu, Kanthanampu and Kuuku Ya’u language groups could largely resolve this problem. The frequency and intensity of bushfires in tropical Australia has changed for the worse since Europeans started managing the landscape. A longer-term strategy is to manage fire better. ![]()
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