Carnaby's Black Cockatoo (Zanda latirostris)

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Breeding season

Timing varies across the species' range. Birds in drier areas move south and west towards the coast in summer, while birds in wetter areas may remain resident. The seasonal pattern below is a practical summary of the documented breeding and movement cycle.

The source describes seasons in broad terms rather than assigning exact months. Month bands are therefore indicative for project planning and should be refined using local records, targeted surveys and current regulatory guidance.

• Breeding: Pairs return to breeding areas in late winter, prepare hollows and breed from late winter through summer.
• Young: Incubation takes 28 to 29 days, fledging occurs 10 to 11 weeks after hatching, and young may remain with their parents until the next breeding season or longer.
• Movement and flocking: Birds form larger flocks outside the breeding season. In drier parts of the range they move south and west towards the coast in summer, while wetter-area birds are more sedentary.
• Roost and feeding concentration: Large flocks use feeding areas and communal roosts outside the breeding period, including the Swan Coastal Plain and Gnangara and Pinjar plantation areas.
• Highest clearing risk: Clearing or disturbance is most likely to harm the species from late winter through summer because adults are selecting and using nest hollows, incubating, feeding nestlings or caring for dependent fledglings. Feeding and roost habitat remains important outside this period.

Identification

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo is a large, mostly greyish-black cockatoo with a short crest, pale cheek patch and broad white panels in the tail. It is often detected by its loud calls and flocking behaviour before it is seen.

Adults are mostly brownish-black or greyish-black, with narrow pale feather margins that give the neck and body a scalloped appearance. The species has a prominent off-white to cream cheek patch, a short crest and broad white panels in the tail. The central tail feathers are black and the outer tail feathers have white sections with black tips.

The bill is large, short and broad, with a flaky texture in adults. Adult males have a dark grey to black bill and a bright pink eye-ring. Adult females have a bone-coloured to greyish-white bill with a black tip, a grey or dark grey eye-ring and a generally paler, larger cheek patch. Females also tend to have paler legs and feet and more white barring on the underparts.

• Adults measure 53 to 58 cm in length.
• The approximate wingspan is 110 cm.
• Adult mass is 520 to 790 g.

Identification: Distinguishing similar birds

Baudin's Black Cockatoo is the main similar species in south-west Western Australia. Carnaby's has a shorter and broader bill, whereas Baudin's has a longer, narrower bill. The two species can be difficult to separate in the field, so bill shape, calls, location and habitat should be assessed together.

Juveniles resemble adult females. They have a smoother bill, narrower and more pointed folded primaries, less white in the tail and persistent harsh begging calls. Young males begin to develop a darker, sometimes two-coloured bill at about one year of age, with the adult bill colour attained after two years in some birds.

• Do not rely on cheek patch colour alone when separating Carnaby's from Baudin's Black Cockatoo.
• Use photographs or detailed field notes of the bill, tail pattern, cheek patch and call where identification is uncertain.

Identification: Calls and field signs

The species is noisy and gregarious. The loudest and most characteristic call is a wailing 'wy-lah', often given in flight, before take-off or when birds return to a nest. Birds may answer one another, and the call can be heard before the flock is visible.

Other signs include soft chuck calls from solitary birds, female whistles, alarm calls, dispute calls and harsh grating begging calls from nestlings. Flocks may contain three birds, small parties, hundreds of birds or, occasionally, thousands.

Nests are in tree hollows, usually high in large-diameter trees. Direct evidence includes adult birds entering or leaving a hollow, begging calls from inside the hollow, fresh nest material or repeated activity at the same hollow. The species does not produce tracks, scats, sloughs or eyeshine that are normally useful for project surveys.

• Listen for the wailing 'wy-lah' call during early morning and late afternoon activity periods.
• Inspect large hollow-bearing trees for repeated adult entry, exit and alarm behaviour.
• Treat a hollow as potentially occupied during the breeding season until survey evidence shows otherwise.

Distribution: Range and strongholds

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo is endemic to south-west Western Australia. Its range extends from the Wheatbelt and inland breeding areas to the Swan Coastal Plain, wetter south-west forests and the south coast.

The species occurs across a broad part of south-west Western Australia, including the Wheatbelt, the Swan Coastal Plain, wetter south-west areas and the south coast. The stated range limits include Kalbarri in the north, Lake Moore, Hatters Hill and Lake Cronin inland, and Cape Arid in the east.

Breeding occurs from the Stirling Range to Three Springs and around Bunbury. Important non-breeding and feeding areas include the Swan Coastal Plain north of Perth, the Perth metropolitan area, the Gnangara and Pinjar pine plantations, and coastal areas from Albany to Cape Arid.

• The species is recorded from Western Australia only.
• Inland and Wheatbelt areas are important breeding areas.
• The Swan Coastal Plain is an important non-breeding and feeding area.
• Drier-range birds move south and west towards the coast in summer, while birds in wetter areas are more sedentary.

Distribution: Population and trend

The population has declined substantially, with abandonment of part of the traditional Wheatbelt breeding range. The Perth to Peel Coastal Plain has experienced a particularly marked decline, while remaining birds are concentrated at recognised breeding, feeding and roosting sites.

Estimated total population: About 40,000 individuals, based on the information provided.

Historical decline: More than 50% over 45 years.

Perth to Peel trend: The 2016 Great Cocky Count recorded 10,919 Carnaby's Black Cockatoos, about 50% fewer than in 2010, with an approximate annual decline of 10%.

Habitat loss: About 56% of habitat has been cleared since European settlement, and about 54% of habitat on the Swan Coastal Plain has been lost.

Habitat: Vegetation communities

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo uses different habitat types for breeding, feeding, roosting and seasonal movement. Retaining connected native vegetation and large hollow-bearing trees is important because clearing can affect several of these functions at once.

Breeding habitat includes Eucalyptus woodland, especially wandoo and salmon gum woodland. The species also uses sandplain and kwongan heath with abundant Hakea, Banksia and Grevillea shrubs, and nearby pine plantations.

The species occurs in areas receiving more than 300 mm of annual rainfall. Breeding areas are generally within areas receiving about 350 to 750 mm of annual rainfall, from the Stirling Range to Three Springs and around Bunbury.

• Retain wandoo and salmon gum woodland where it contains large hollow-bearing trees.
• Retain Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, sheoak, marri and other native food plants in connected patches.
• Assess both breeding habitat and non-breeding feeding or roosting habitat within the project area and nearby movement routes.

Habitat: Structural features

Important habitat features are mature trees with suitable hollows, native shrublands that produce seed, and vegetation retained between breeding areas, feeding sites and overnight roosts. The documents do not provide a reliable elevation range or a single minimum tree diameter for use as a project threshold.

Carnaby's Black Cockatoos can occur in cleared or modified areas when food resources remain, including pine plantations and urban or peri-urban vegetation. This does not mean such areas are of low conservation value, because large numbers may use them outside the breeding season.

• Map mature hollow-bearing trees, native food plants, pine plantations, known roosts and likely movement corridors before clearing.
• Avoid treating isolated trees or narrow road verges as low-value habitat without checking for hollows, food plants and flock activity.

Foraging habitat: Food plants and feeding method

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo mainly feeds on seeds, particularly from Proteaceae, and also takes flowers, fruit and some invertebrate larvae. Feeding habitat can be separate from breeding habitat and may support large flocks.

Important native food plants include Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, western sheoak, orange wattle, balga, Eucalyptus and Corymbia. More than 50 native plant species are reported as food plants. The birds also feed on seeds of Monterey pine and maritime pine in the Gnangara and Pinjar plantations.

Birds usually feed in tree crowns. They chew through the stem of a cone, capsule or fruit, hold it with one foot and tear it apart to extract the seed. They may break stems while moving along branches and sometimes collect fallen seed and fruit from the ground. They also eat larvae of wood-boring insects and moths.

• Look for chewed Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, sheoak, eucalypt or pine cones and capsules beneath trees.
• Record feeding flocks, recently chewed fruits and the plant species being used before removing vegetation.
• Include scattered paddock trees, road verges, urban vegetation and plantations in food-resource assessments where birds are present.

Foraging habitat: Foraging range

Outside the breeding season, birds forage over a broad area around overnight roosts. Daily movements are often relatively short, with reported average travel distances of 5.4 km from the roost in the morning and 5.5 km in the afternoon. The reported foraging area around roosts ranges from 17 to an upper value that is incomplete in the supplied source, so no upper figure is given here.

Almost two-thirds of Carnaby's Black Cockatoos on the Perth to Peel Coastal Plain roost in the Gnangara and Pinjar pine plantation area, showing that plantation feeding habitat can support a substantial regional concentration.

• Survey food plants and flock movements beyond the clearing footprint where the project may remove a feeding patch or roost connection.
• Give particular attention to feeding habitat within about 5 to 6 km of a known roost, while recognising that birds can use a wider area.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo breeds as solitary pairs in large hollows in mature trees. Breeding habitat is concentrated in inland and Wheatbelt woodlands but also occurs in other parts of south-west Western Australia.

Pairs return to breeding areas in late winter. The female selects a hollow and becomes territorial around the nest. Pairs are generally monogamous and may mate for life. The species competes with western corellas, galahs and feral honeybees for hollows.

The female incubates alone. Chicks hatch asynchronously, and the second chick commonly dies within the first two days. Both parents usually feed the surviving nestling, which remains with its parents until at least the next breeding season and sometimes longer.

Breeding season: Late winter to summer.

Age at first breeding: From about four years of age.

Clutch size: One or two white eggs.

Interval between eggs: About eight days.

Incubation: 28 to 29 days, by the female.

Fledging: 10 to 11 weeks after hatching.

Lifespan: At least 35 years has been recorded for an individually tagged nesting male.

Breeding habitat: Nest trees and hollows

Nests are in hollows high in mature trees, most commonly Eucalyptus. Wandoo and salmon gum woodland provide important breeding habitat. Reported nests are about 5.7 m above ground on average, and breeding nests are spaced about 174 m apart on average.

The supplied documents do not provide a single minimum hollow entrance size, hollow depth or tree diameter that can be applied to every project. Large-diameter, mature hollow-bearing trees should therefore be retained and assessed individually, including trees that are currently dead or partly dead if they contain suitable hollows.

• Inspect all mature hollow-bearing trees within and next to the clearing footprint.
• Check whether hollows are occupied by adults, nestlings or competing species before tree removal.
• Avoid disturbing active nest trees during the breeding and dependent-young period wherever practicable.
• Record potential nest trees even when no bird is seen, because adults may be absent while feeding.

Sheltering habitat: Roosts

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo roosts communally in trees and uses hollow-bearing trees for nesting. Roosts can be important even when they are outside the breeding range or away from the nest tree.

Outside the breeding season, birds form flocks and descend to treetops to roost. Large overnight roosts occur on the Swan Coastal Plain, including the Perth metropolitan area and the Gnangara and Pinjar plantation region.

The documents do not provide a standard roost-tree diameter, roost height or minimum buffer distance. Repeated evening arrivals, morning departures, accumulated droppings beneath trees and large groups settling into trees are useful indicators of a roost.

• Survey likely roost trees at dusk and dawn when birds are arriving or departing.
• Map roost trees and the vegetation used to approach and leave the roost.
• Avoid clearing or high-noise activity near an active roost during peak arrival and departure periods.

Sheltering habitat: Hollows and shelter

Large tree hollows provide nesting shelter and may also be used for refuge. Artificial breeding hollows have been installed after fire destroyed breeding habitat, and reported nestling survival in improved artificial hollows reached 75%.

No burrow, den, ground-cover or specific refuge requirement is described in the supplied documents. The species is primarily arboreal, so mature trees, hollow-bearing trees and connected tree cover should receive the greatest attention during clearing.

• Retain hollow-bearing trees wherever possible, including trees with no current evidence of occupation.
• Do not assume that a tree without a visible nest is unused.
• If hollow removal cannot be avoided, obtain project-specific advice on replacement hollows and timing from the relevant specialists and regulators.

Threats: Clearing and development

The main project risks are loss of feeding and breeding habitat, removal of hollow-bearing trees, disturbance to nests and roosts, and fragmentation of movement routes. The species' low reproductive output and long immature period reduce its capacity to recover quickly from local losses.

Clearing for agriculture, urban growth, roads and infrastructure removes feeding plants, breeding woodland, hollow-bearing trees and roost habitat. Habitat loss has been extensive in the Wheatbelt and on the Swan Coastal Plain, where development pressure is increasing.

Fragmentation can separate breeding areas from feeding sites and roosts. Loss of pine plantations north of Perth may also reduce an important food source.

• Avoid clearing mature hollow-bearing trees and retain connected native food vegetation.
• Assess indirect loss of feeding and roost habitat, not only the area of trees removed.
• Plan works to maintain movement between breeding areas, feeding areas and overnight roosts.

Threats: Fire and hollow loss

Bushfire can remove breeding woodland and hollow-bearing trees. Firewood collection and other tree removal also reduce the supply of suitable nest hollows. Artificial hollows have been used after fire, but replacement structures do not replace the wider feeding and movement habitat of mature woodland.

• Protect retained hollow-bearing trees from accidental fire, machinery impact and storage of materials.
• Include hollow-bearing trees and likely replacement trees in post-fire and post-clearing habitat assessments.

Threats: Competition, predators and disease

Western corellas, galahs and feral honeybees compete for nest hollows. Wedge-tailed Eagles are reported to kill adults occasionally. Flocks may be exposed to localised disease events and severe weather, and a probable disease outbreak killed up to 23 breeding females at Koobabbie in 2009.

The supplied documents do not identify a project-specific disease control measure or a major hydrology threat. Hydrology changes should still be assessed where they may alter Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, sheoak or eucalypt food resources.

• Inspect potential nest hollows for competing species before works begin.
• Do not introduce feral honeybees or leave cavities that may increase competition for nest sites.
• Report unusual mortality or sick birds through the relevant wildlife authority.

Threats: Roads and extreme weather

Roads are a hazard where useful vegetation remains on road verges. Birds may fly into open space across roads when leaving vegetation, creating collision risk. Heatwaves, hailstorms and other extreme weather events have caused recorded deaths, and worsening weather extremes are identified as a future concern.

• Check road alignments and verge vegetation for regular flock movements before construction.
• Manage traffic and vegetation clearing near known feeding areas, roosts and flight paths.
• Avoid creating abrupt gaps between retained trees where birds regularly cross roads.

Survey methodology: 1. Daytime habitat and tree inspection

Survey Carnaby's Black Cockatoo where works may affect breeding trees, feeding plants, roosts or movement routes. The supplied records identify the national bird survey guideline, but do not reproduce a species-specific effort table, so the project ecologist must confirm the current guideline before setting numeric effort.

Inspect the entire disturbance area and nearby retained habitat for Carnaby's Black Cockatoo feeding, breeding and roosting resources.

Record mature wandoo, salmon gum and other large hollow-bearing eucalypts, together with Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, sheoak, marri, jarrah, pine and other known food plants where present.

Look for chew marks on cones, seed pods and branches, feathers, droppings, abandoned or active hollows, birds feeding or roosting, and repeated flight paths.

Map habitat features with photographs and record the tree location, species, diameter, hollow characteristics and signs of use.

• Complete the inspection before finalising the clearing footprint, access tracks, stockpile areas and crane or laydown areas.
• Treat all potentially suitable large hollows as occupied or potentially occupied until assessed by a suitably experienced ecologist.

Survey methodology: 2. Dawn and dusk observations

Use fixed-point observations and walked transects to detect birds moving between feeding areas, breeding trees and roosts.

Prioritise dawn and late afternoon, when birds may leave or return to roosts, and observe areas containing mature trees, food plants, known roosts and likely flight paths.

Record flock size, flight direction, behaviour, location, time, weather and whether birds are feeding, calling, entering a hollow or roosting.

Use calm, clear conditions where possible, because wind, rain and poor visibility reduce the likelihood of detecting flying birds.

• Repeat observations across suitable visits rather than relying on one negative inspection, because the species forms flocks outside the breeding season and may move between wetter and drier parts of its range.
• Include nearby retained habitat because birds may feed in one area and breed or roost in another.

Survey methodology: 3. Targeted hollow and roost checks

Inspect suitable hollows from the ground and, where safe and authorised, from an elevated position without disturbing breeding birds.

Give particular attention to mature wandoo and salmon gum woodland, tall trees with large hollows, and known or suspected breeding areas.

Check roost trees and nearby feeding areas before clearing, especially on the Swan Coastal Plain and around the Perth metropolitan area where roosts are important.

Do not enter a hollow, use intrusive equipment or approach a nest closely unless this is authorised under the project fauna management plan and relevant permits.

• Use experienced observers who can distinguish Carnaby's Black Cockatoo from Baudin's Black Cockatoo and other black cockatoos, as the species can be difficult to identify in the field.
• Record a negative result only with the date, time, weather, observer, area searched and methods used.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

Set the survey timing, number of visits, observation duration, transect coverage and any specialist hollow inspection effort from the current Survey Guidelines for Australia's Threatened Birds and the project referral guideline.

The supplied documents do not state a numeric minimum number of nights, hours, trap nights, transect length or survey area for Carnaby's Black Cockatoo. Do not substitute an unsupported effort value.

Avoid trapping as a default method because this is a highly mobile cockatoo, and use trapping only if a separate approved method is justified for a defined research or rescue purpose.

• Submit records, including positive and negative survey data where required, to the relevant Western Australian wildlife database or other relevant state wildlife database for the project location.
• Record the scientific name as Zanda latirostris and include the former name Calyptorhynchus latirostris where a database or approval condition requires cross-referencing.
• Retain maps, photographs, observer qualifications, weather data, effort details, species records, hollow assessments and decision records in the project file.
• Check the current EPBC referral guideline and state survey and fauna management requirements before fieldwork starts.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Avoid impacts first, then minimise the area, duration and intensity of disturbance. Carnaby's Black Cockatoo depends on large hollow-bearing trees for breeding and on native and plantation food resources outside the breeding season.

Redesign the footprint to retain mature wandoo, salmon gum and other large hollow-bearing trees, active or potential nest trees, roost trees and connected feeding habitat.

Retain stands of Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, sheoak, marri, jarrah, eucalyptus and other known food plants where they occur within or beside the work area.

Keep breeding, feeding and roosting areas connected where practicable, including vegetation used for movement between inland breeding areas and coastal feeding or roosting areas.

Avoid clearing during the breeding season where practicable, particularly from late winter to summer, and obtain project-specific ecological advice where timing cannot be avoided.

Avoid unnecessary removal of pine plantation feeding resources where they are used by local flocks.

• Place exclusion zones around retained trees, hollows, roosts and food plants before machinery enters the site.
• Keep access tracks, compounds, lighting and night works away from known roosts and breeding trees where practicable.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and fauna planning

Check whether the action is likely to have a significant impact on this EPBC Act listed endangered species and refer it if required.

Check Western Australian approvals, permits and fauna management requirements because the species is listed as endangered in Western Australia.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat to retain, survey methods, pre-clearance checks, fauna spotter catcher responsibilities, stop-work triggers, rescue arrangements and reporting.

Use the current referral guideline with the Significant Impact Guidelines and relevant state environmental assessment guidance when assessing the proposed action.

• Obtain written approval for any handling, capture, relocation, nest or hollow intervention, and use only appropriately authorised personnel.
• Identify a nearby retained release area before works begin, and confirm that it contains suitable food, shelter and safe access.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Complete a pre-clearance survey immediately before works, with timing set by the fauna management plan and the current threatened bird survey guidance.

Mark retained trees, hollow-bearing trees, food plants, roosts, exclusion zones and no-go areas on plans and on the ground.

Install exclusion fencing where it can protect retained habitat and prevent machinery, vehicles and workers entering the buffer.

Brief machinery operators and all contractors on the species, marked habitat, speed limits, stop-work triggers and the spotter catcher's authority.

• Inspect the work area again after high winds, fire, flooding or other events that may alter tree safety or animal use.
• Confirm that a vet, wildlife carer and suitable transport container are available before clearing starts.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and supervision

Keep a qualified fauna spotter catcher involved whenever vegetation, trees or other habitat are disturbed. The spotter catcher must be able to direct machinery, stop work and arrange authorised rescue or veterinary care.

Inspect the work area each day before machinery starts and after breaks or changes in the work front.

Position the fauna spotter catcher where they can see the clearing face, machinery and retained trees, and maintain direct communication with the operator.

Clear progressively in small stages towards retained habitat where this is safe, so animals have an opportunity to move away from machinery.

Keep machinery away from marked hollow-bearing trees, roost trees, food plants and exclusion zones unless the approved method specifically allows work there.

• Stop work immediately if a Carnaby's Black Cockatoo enters the clearing area, is injured, is trapped, attempts to enter a hollow affected by works, or is found in a tree or habitat feature scheduled for removal.
• Stop work if an active nest, occupied hollow, significant roost or previously unrecorded concentration of birds is identified.
• Resume work only after the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist have assessed the risk and documented the control or approval.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Do not fell a hollow-bearing tree until the fauna spotter catcher has inspected it and the approved fauna management plan allows removal.

Retain felled hollow sections where safe and authorised, and consider their use in habitat restoration or as artificial nest structures under ecological advice.

Avoid disturbing nearby feeding trees, roost trees and native food plants while removing a tree or building infrastructure.

Treat logs, rocks, burrows and wetland margins as fauna habitat during clearing, even though the supplied species records focus mainly on trees, hollows, food resources and roosts.

• Use staged dismantling or section-by-section removal where required by the approved method to reduce the risk of a bird remaining in a hollow or being injured during felling.
• Do not burn, chip or bury habitat material until the fauna spotter catcher has completed the inspection and released it for disposal or reuse.

During habitat disturbance: Animal handling and incident response

Allow an uninjured bird to leave naturally where it can move safely to nearby retained habitat.

Only an appropriately authorised fauna spotter catcher or other authorised person may capture or handle the bird.

Do not chase a bird through dense vegetation, hold it unnecessarily or relocate it without approval and a suitable nearby release site.

Take an injured bird to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer as soon as practicable, using a secure, ventilated container and minimising noise, heat and handling.

Record the location, time, condition, action taken, release or treatment outcome, handlers and any approval or permit used.

• Contact the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority if the bird cannot be safely captured, if a nest is affected, or if repeated birds enter the work area.
• Treat a dead bird as a reportable fauna incident where required and preserve the identification and location information for the project record.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Confirm that clearing has not left injured birds, occupied hollows or avoidable habitat hazards. Continue controls until the site is stable and the project environmental officer has closed out the fauna actions.

Inspect the cleared area, retained trees, adjacent habitat, access routes and work compounds after each clearing stage.

Check for injured or trapped birds, damaged hollow-bearing trees, fallen nest trees, severed movement routes, discarded material and new hazards such as open pits or unsecured containers.

Complete a final inspection after machinery leaves and before exclusion fencing or temporary controls are removed.

• Keep the fauna spotter catcher or another suitably experienced person available for the period specified in the fauna management plan.
• Escalate any injured bird, active nest, damaged retained tree or unexpected flock concentration as an environmental incident.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained breeding trees, roost trees, food plants and nearby movement routes at the frequency set by the approval, fauna management plan or project ecologist.

Compare post-work observations with the pre-clearance records, including bird presence, flock size, feeding activity, roost use and hollow condition.

Report impacts, rescues, deaths, habitat loss, non-compliance, corrective actions and monitoring results to the approval authority where required.

• Submit confirmed species records and significant incident records to the relevant state wildlife database where required.
• Keep the final maps, photographs, clearance quantities, habitat retained, animal outcomes and monitoring results with the project environmental records.

After habitat disturbance: Controls, offsets and corrective action

Maintain fencing, no-go markings, speed controls and lighting controls while construction continues near retained habitat.

Repair damaged exclusion fencing and replace lost habitat markers before the next work shift.

Assess offsets or other approved conservation measures where residual impacts remain after avoidance and minimisation.

Align any offset proposal with the Western Australian Environmental Offsets Policy and Guidelines where the project is in Western Australia.

• Do not treat an offset as permission to remove a breeding tree, active roost or feeding area that can reasonably be retained.
• Obtain approval for any change to the approved clearing footprint, habitat treatment or fauna management method.

Rehabilitation actions: Food and movement habitat

Rehabilitation should restore the food, breeding and roosting resources that Carnaby's Black Cockatoo uses in south-western Australia. Mature hollow-bearing trees take many years to develop, so retain existing trees wherever possible and use interim measures only where approved.

Revegetate cleared areas with locally appropriate native food plants used by the species, including Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, sheoak, marri, jarrah, eucalyptus and other suitable Proteaceae and Myrtaceae.

Use local provenance and site-suitable species selected by the project ecologist, because the species uses more than 50 native plant species for food across its range.

Reconnect retained feeding, breeding and roosting areas with planted native vegetation where practicable.

Control weeds that suppress food plants and maintain planted areas until plants are established.

• Protect revegetation from grazing, vehicle damage, fire and uncontrolled access.
• Do not rely on short-lived plantings alone where the project has removed mature breeding or roost trees.

Rehabilitation actions: Hollows and nest structures

Retain standing hollow-bearing trees and fallen hollow sections wherever safe, because breeding requires large hollows in tall trees.

Install artificial breeding hollows or nest boxes only where the recovery plan, project ecologist and relevant authority support the design, location, inspection and maintenance program.

Place replacement structures near retained breeding habitat and away from machinery, public access and avoidable disturbance.

Inspect installed structures for occupation, damage, competition and maintenance needs during the approved monitoring period.

• Record the structure location, height, orientation, dimensions, installation date, inspection results and any use by Carnaby's Black Cockatoo.
• Do not claim replacement hollows provide an immediate equivalent to mature trees.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, predators and site condition

Prepare a fire management approach that protects retained breeding trees, artificial hollows, food plantings and roost vegetation while meeting applicable fire safety requirements.

Manage feral honeybees, galahs and western corellas where authorised and where competition for hollows affects the species.

Reduce vehicle strike risk by controlling vehicle speeds and maintaining safe vegetation setbacks at access roads and project crossings.

Keep rehabilitated areas free of waste, open pits and materials that could injure birds or restrict access to food plants.

• Coordinate pest, fire and weed actions with the recovery plan and relevant land manager.
• Record any predator, competitor, fire or storm damage that affects restored habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Monitor survival and growth of planted food species, condition of retained trees, integrity of nest structures, weed cover, fire damage and use by Carnaby's Black Cockatoo.

Use repeat observations to check whether birds feed, roost, move through or breed in the rehabilitated area.

Set success measures before works begin, including the number and condition of retained trees, survival of planted food species, functioning nest structures and documented species use.

Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval or rehabilitation plan, and repair failed plantings, damaged structures or eroded habitat.

• Report monitoring results, failures and corrective actions to the project environmental officer and approval authority where required.
• Submit significant species observations to the relevant state wildlife database.

Sources

• Zanda latirostris, Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, Short-billed Black-cockatoo, Australian Government DCCEEW: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?showprofile=Y&taxon_id=59523
• Zanda latirostris (Carnaby, 1948), gbif.org: https://www.gbif.org/species/165634943