Rascals: Prof David Watson will work on a $1.4 million project to find out just how much damage birds such as this sulphur-crested cockatoo, cause. They may be pretty, but at certain times of the year native parrots can be a major pest for Australian fruit and nut growers.

They cause up to $300 million damage each year, according to estimates by the Bureau of Rural Sciences.

A new, three-year $1.4 million project aims to find out just how much damage birds cause, why, and how it can be minimised.

Charles Sturt University ecologists began last month by conducting a bird monitoring course for workers at Select Harvests almond orchards near Boundary Bend, in northwest Victoria.

Staff are asked to record bird sightings, species, numbers and movements to help the eight-member research team in their quest to find out more about the relationship between agriculture and native birds.

The company and two employees were fined last year after the remains of 41 endangered Regent parrots were found by wildlife officers during inspections at a Select Harvests orchard in November 2006.

Associate Professor David Watson said Select Harvests had initiated the research.

"They said, 'We've made some mistakes; we have ongoing problems with birds. Can you help?"' Prof Watson said.

"The idea is to try and find out if it's possible to have production agriculture while maintaining or improving biodiversity for native plants and animals."

As well as using posters and scientific specimens, the training includes a field trip to several locations in almond groves at Boundary Bend and near the Murray River at Wemen.

The bird-watchers identified a variety of birds, including ravens, crows, galahs, blue bonnet parrots, cockatoos, magpies, rosellas, jays, wood swallows, willie wagtails, whistling kites, a red-capped robin and a kookaburra.

Prof Watson said the Regent parrot was the "icon species" of the project, although the common sulphur-crested cockatoos, galahs and corellas were known to cause the most damage to almond crops, chewing on trees, buds and nuts.

A seed and fruit eater, the Regent parrot lives in Mallee bushland along the Murray River between Mildura and Boundary Bend.

Estimates of the number of birds surviving in the area vary between 500 and 1200.

"Their natural diet is pretty much unknown," he said.

"We know they'll eat green wheat and almonds, but getting a handle on whether they just eat what's available or whether they track a food through space, is critical information."

Research team leader Dr Peter Spooner said the project also will look at the interaction of native birds with other horticultural crops - wine grapes, citrus and table grapes - and consider whether orchards and vineyards could be designed to reduce crop damage or if decoy plants or sacrificial crops would distract birds.

The research team will concentrate on a 10,000 sq km area around Robinvale and Euston.