There has been considerable effort by organisations and individuals in designing artificial hollows for the endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoo in Western Australia. Landcare Serpentine-Jarrahdale (Western Australia) has designed an artificial nesting hollow that has been named the ‘Cockatube’. Hundreds of these have been installed across the range of the Carnaby’s Cockatoo, by private land owners, NGOs and Government organisations.
A number of monitoring projects of artificial nesting hollows designed for the Carnaby’s Cockatoo are underway or have been undertaken in the past. The results of these will potentially be valuable for those considering installing artificial nesting hollows for Black Cockatoos – all species, across Australia. I have added links to these below.
I have heard that very few Black Cockatoos in the Eastern States (mainland) have been found to use artificial nesting hollows, however perhaps there may be specific un-met needs relating to geographic location, selection of tree size/shape/species, installation height, hollow design and more? Who knows, yet…
For updates on ongoing artificial hollow monitoring projects:
Landcare Serpentine-Jarrrahdale: https://www.facebook.com/LandcareSJ/
Links to studies, ongoing or completed:
Project report: Artificial Hollows for Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315334391_Artificial_hollows_for_Carnaby%27s_black_cockatoo_An_investigation_of_the_placement_use_monitoring_and_maintenance_requirements_of_artificial_hollows_for_Carnaby%27s_black_cockatoo
Landcare Serpentine-Jarrahdale’s Cockatube Monitoring Project (ongoing): https://blackcockatoos.org.au/tag/cockatubes-landcare-sj-black-cockatoos/
Link to the Black Cockatoo Project’s Cockatube info page: https://blackcockatoos.org.au/about-us/
Link to information about the Cockatube design: https://landcaresj.com.au/cockatubes-saving-black-cockatoos/
Please let me know if you find more, or new articles and I’ll add them here.