The day-old chick in the nesting box.CALINGIRI school students will have an opportunity to track the movements of a pair of nesting Carnaby’s cockatoos and their chick in the schoolyard.
A nesting box established near the school grounds five years ago was taken up by a breeding pair earlier in spring.
Two eggs were laid and one chick hatched on October 26. It is considered unlikely that Carnaby’s cockatoos raise more than one chick.
Students are able to view the nesting box from the school library window but recently a motion camera was mounted on an adjacent tree to trace the feeding habits and behaviour of the birds.
A study of birds in the local environment as part of a science unit resulted in a Carnaby’s and Native Bird open day at the school on October 31, sponsored by Cliff Natural Resources.
Representatives from Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management attended the day and discussed the birds and identified fodder species important to the Carnaby’s Cockatoo.
Students learnt about fodder species important to the Carnaby’s cockatoo at the native bird open day.Student interest in the pair of birds has been keen and with footage from the camera, the school is looking to document the raising of the chick up to the point when it leaves the nesting box.
Carnaby’s cockatoos are endemic to the Australia’s South West land division and considered rare and thought likely to become extinct.
Birds live for 50 years and it is thought the current population of Carnaby’s cockatoos is an ageing population.