Helpers needed to count cockatoos
Saturday, October 9, 2010 at 15:15 
VOLUNTEERS are being sought to help with a survey of the vulnerable glossy black cockatoo.DID you know that the Redlands is home to the vulnerable glossy black cockatoo? If you didn't, you aren't alone.
These quiet, innocuous birds live throughout the Redlands mainland and islands and sometimes the only way you know they are around is by the soft "click click" noise as they break into casuarina cones for the seeds.
On Sunday, October 31, supported by the Glossy Black Conservancy, a glossy black cockatoo birding day will take place throughout South East Queensland and northern New South Wales.
This survey follows on from the success of the 2009 inaugural survey coordinated by Griffith University's Environmental Futures Centre on the Gold Coast and will improve our knowledge of the distribution and abundance of these special birds.
By enlisting the support of community volunteers, the cockatoo observers will undertake a snapshot survey of the species, which provides baseline data for assessing their current and future conservation requirements.
Living in smaller groups than their yellow-tailed or red-tailed cousins, glossy black cockatoo tend to travel in small parties of two or three. They are the smallest of the black cockatoos, and have red panels on their tail feathers but do not have the prominent crest seen in other species. The females also have characteristic patches of yellow feathers on their heads.
These birds have specialised habitat requirements for survival, which is why they are listed as vulnerable.
They eat only from one or two trees in stands of rose she-oak (Allocasuarina torulosa) and black she-oak (Allocasuarina littoralis).
They require watering holes near their feed trees and nests.
They require deep, chimney hollows to nest in these can take up to 200 years to form. They only have one chick every two years.
To assist in the conservation of the glossy black cockatoo, the Glossy Black Conservancy was officially formed in 2005 with support from Redland City Council. Since then, the conservancy has grown and there are now more than 20 partners including numerous local South East Queensland councils, birding and academic organisations and friends.
People interested in taking part in the birding day can contact their regional coordinator through the Glossy Black Conservancy website www.glossyblack.org.au or contact Lisa Bailey at lisa.bailey@redland.qld.gov.au. You will be required to attend a workshop where you will receive information on survey locations, survey protocols and data collection.
The survey will use the same methods as the inaugural survey in 2009, aiming to cover as many potential sites as possible from dawn till dusk. Survey grid cells of 1sq km will be identified and assigned to volunteers but interested observers can also survey their own properties if glossy black cockatoo are known to frequent these areas.