Plants for carnaby's black cockatoos
Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 12:36 
Trees are vital to the Carnaby's cockatoo survival. Plant one today! Image by Delia AnthonyPlant's for Carnaby's is a list devised by the Department of Environment and Conservation detailing species that the endangered Carnaby black cockatoos use as feeding, roosting and nesting resources. It includes native and exotic species.
The medium and high priority plants below, all native species, are fairly easy to get from nurseries around winter and onwards. Specialist native nurseries will have some of the more difficult to obtain species.
High priority food plants inlcude Banksia grandis, B. littoralis, B. prionotes, B. speciosa, B. prostrata and B. undulata. None of these plants are particularly tall or huge trees, though if you do have room to plant some large Eucalypts there are Tuarts (Eucalyptus gomphocephala), which grow in a 20 odd km strip along the coast between Jurien Bay to near Busselton (Powell, 1990). Marri (Corymbia calophylla) is an extremely important food species and after about 120 years of age they form hollows in which cockatoos can breed. 
Banksia grandis, commonly known as Bull Banksia, Giant Banksia or Mangite is a priority food plant for the Carnaby's cockatoo. Image by biodivinf For those with property in the wheatbelt the Salmon gum (Eucalyptus salmonophloia) and Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) are the trees of choice for future cockatoo habitat as these too form hollows after 100 years or so.
There also need so be replanted many of the other Banksias and Hakea species which provide good seed sources and mixed understorey.
The Marri, Corymbia calophylla, grows realativly quickly and is both a source of food and a nesting tree for the Carnaby's cockatoo. Image by Jean and Fred Hort away
Medium and high priority species for planting:
B. praemorsa - Cut leaf banksia
Corymbia ficifolia - Red flowered gum
Eucayptus caesia - Silver princess
E. preissiana - Bell-fruited mallee
E. todtiana - Coastal blackbutt or prickly bark
Grevillea bipinnatifida - Fuschia grevillea
H. laurina - Pin-cushion hakea
H. multilineata - Grass leaf hakea
H. petiolaris - Sea urchin hakea
H. varia - Variable leaved hakea
Jacksonia furcellata - Grey stinkwood
Xanthorrhoea preissii - Grass tree
Calothamnus quadrifidus is also good for nectar and many Callistemons seem popular for similar reasons.
Eucalyptus gomphocephala also known as Tuart. Image by IlenaMacadamia nuts and almonds are not great food for cockatoos, especially when unripe, as it makes them sick. Sadly the birds will eat these when they are very hungry, such has happened in the last few years with more loss of habitat and food plants due to clearing of urban Banksia woodland.
It may be too late as the government is doing nothing to help save the last important areas for these birds, but if we do what we can and replant some of their food plants, at least we have tried to save another species from extinction.
Resources:
Kaarakin Black cockatoo rehabilitation centre
Thanks to Harmony BCRC for her help with the list.
Plants availbale at:
APACE nursery in North Fremantle, Lullfitz, Zanthorrhea nursery, Men of the Trees, Oakford native nursery
Department of Environment and Conservation (2011): The entire Plants for Carnaby's list is available at http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/apps/plantsforcarnabys/index.html
References:
Robert Powell, Trees and tall shrubs of Perth, DEC, 1990