THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Conservation win as first palm cockatoo chick fledges from artificial ... Conservationists in Australia are celebrating the fledging of a palm cockatoo chick, a species considered endangered in the country. It fledged from an artificial log hollow installed on a tree for breeding cockatoos. The structure is one of 29 such spaces created as part of People For Wildlife’s (PFW) Breeding Habitat Restoration Project , in partnership with Apudthama Traditional Owners and palm cockatoo expert Christina Zdenek, PhD. The palm cockatoo ( Probosciger aterrimus ) is a stunning large parrot, with smokey-black feathers, red cheek patches and a dramatic crest. As part of their courtship displays, males fashion tools out of sticks and seed pods to drum on hollow trees. Palm cockatoos live in Australia and on the neighboring island of New Guinea. In Australia, they are confined to a patch of rainforest and savanna woodland on the remote Cape York Peninsula of northern Queensland. They’re one of Australia’s most threatened parrots, with possibly fewer than 2,000 left in the wild. “They disperse the rainforest seeds,” Robert Heinsohn of Australian National University told U.K. state broadcaster BBC …

Threatened species conservation - South West NRM Home»Threatened species conservation The South West NRM region is home to 167EPBC Act-listed threatened species, including: The loss and fragmentation of habitat is one of the primary threatening processes for nearly all of Australia’s threatened species. South West NRM is working to protect existing habitat, improve degraded habitat and create new habitat for threatened species across the region, including western ringtail possums, numbats, Carnaby’s black cockatoo, chuditch, woylie and malleefowl. In recent years, we’ve: South West NRM  delivers the region’sLand for Wildlifeprogram, supporting private landholders to manage native vegetation on their properties for biodiversity conservation. We’ve also installed four possum bridges throughout the region, helping to connect western ringtail possum habitat, increase genetic diversity between populations and prevent death by predation or roadstrike. Understanding where threatened species are present, and how they use habitat areas is critical to effectively managing these species. South West NRM has undertaken extensive fauna and flora surveys in the region, including working w…

‘Flamin’ cockatoos’ have lost much of their habitat to bushfires. Can the species survive? <p>Two fires in 12 years wiped out all but a handful of the mature native pines in Victoria’s Wyperfeld national park, a key breeding ground for endangered pink cockatoos</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>At the entrance to Wyperfeld national park, in north-west Victoria, more than a dozen pink cockatoos are sprinkled across a hedge row of pine trees like Christmas decorations. These are Aleppo pines, not the native conifers that the birds rely on for nesting habitat and as a primary source of food.</p><p>Still, the feathered ornaments appear quite content, nestled in among the spruce and ripping into pine cones with their dexterous claws and beaks, making gentle cracking sounds that punctuate the soft roar of Mallee winds.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2026/jun/14/pink-cockatoos-bushfire-habitat-…

'Flamin' cockatoos' have lost much of their habitat to bushfires. Can ... ‘Flamin’ cockatoos’ have lost much of their habitat to bushfires. Can the species survive? ...Middle East NY Times News - News Share on WhatsApp facebook source : NY Times News ( Middle East ) NY Times News 2026-6-13 ( Saturday 13/06/2026 - 11:39 PM ) 73 At the entrance to Wyperfeld national park, in north-west Victoria, more than a dozen pink cockatoos are sprinkled across a hedge row of pine trees like Christmas decorations. These are Aleppo pines, not the native conifers that the birds rely on for nesting habitat and as a primary source of food. Still, the feathered ornaments appear quite content, nestled in among the spruce and ripping into pine cones with their dexterous claws and beaks, making gentle cracking sounds that punctuate the soft roar of Mallee winds. It’s a blissful scene that belies the devastation ahead. Inside the park, 70% of the cockatoo’s core habitat, an area known as “pine plains”, was scorched in January’s devastating bushfires, leaving charcoal shadows and empty space. That’s bad news for Lophochroa leadbeateri, an endangered bird previously known as the Major Mitchell’s cockatoo. …

Feathers to the flames | Gippsland Environment Group By Louise Crisp Originally published in VNPA PARK WATCH June 2024 Few people have seen the gentle reclusiveGlossy Black Cockatoo(Calyptorhynchus lathami) with its magnificent red tail feathers and quiet calls. To observe a family of ‘Glossies’ hanging out together in a Black She-oak tree is a magical experience. The unburnt coastal forest between Colquhoun (near Lakes Entrance) to the Snowy River at Marlo is the heartland of Victoria’s Glossy population. Numbering a tiny 35 to 40 individuals, they’re listed as Critically Endangered in Victoria and Vulnerable nationally. ​ Glossy Black Cockatoos have a very specialised diet. In East Gippsland they feed exclusively on seeds from the cones of Black She-oak trees (Allocasuarina littoralis), also known as She-oak. Black She-oaks often occur as extensive stands within coastal Lowland Forest. The chewed cones, known as orts, can be found under Glossy’s feed trees. ​ Black She-oaks are particularly susceptible to fire. High intensity fires kill them, and even low intensity fire triggers the cones to open and shed their seed. Glossies will not feed on seeds on the ground. The Bla…

Habitat Loss from Wildfires Poses Threat to 'Flamin' Cockatoos': Will ... — by At the entrance of Wyperfeld National Park, located in north-west Victoria, a group of more than twelve pink cockatoos can be seen perched on a hedge of Aleppo pines, resembling festive decorations. While these pines are not the indigenous species that the birds depend on for nesting and sustenance, the cockatoos seem quite at home as they skillfully tear into pine cones, creating soft cracking sounds that blend with the gentle breezes of the Mallee region. This tranquil scene conceals the harsh reality that lies within the park. Recent bushfires in January devastated 70% of the cockatoos’ essential habitat, known as the “pine plains,” leaving behind blackened remnants and vast empty spaces. This situation poses a significant threat to the Lophochroa leadbeateri, commonly referred to as Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, which is classified as endangered. Ecologist Dr. Victor Hurley affectionately calls them “flame-crested” or “flamin’ cockatoos,” highlighting their striking red and yellow crest and the salmon pink hue beneath their wings. According to Dr. Hurley, who has dedicated decades to studying thes…

'Flamin' cockatoos' have lost much of their habitat to bushfires. Can ... Nyt News Today At the entrance to Wyperfeld National Park in north-west Victoria, more than a dozen pink cockatoos perch on pine trees that aren’t their own. With bushfires ravaging native conifers, these vivid birds are left clinging to an uncertain future, prompting the question of whether the “flamin’ cockatoos” can endure. Key Takeaways: The Sight at Wyperfeld National Park At the entrance to Wyperfeld National Park in north-west Victoria, visitors are met with an unusual spectacle: a cluster of pink cockatoos, nicknamed “flamin’ cockatoos,” scattered across a row of Aleppo pines. This scene is both beautiful and concerning, as the pines they perch on are far from the native conifers the species traditionally depends upon. Bushfires and Habitat Destruction The backdrop to this phenomenon is a landscape scarred by bushfires. These fires have wrought considerable damage, decimating large swaths of habitat critical to the survival of pink cockatoos. In particular, native conifers—vital for both nesting sites and food—have been severely reduced, prompting ecologists to question the fate of this vibrant…

'Flamin' cockatoos' have lost much of their habitat to bushfires. Can ... At the entrance to Wyperfeld national park, in north-west Victoria , more than a dozen pink cockatoos are sprinkled across a hedge row of pine trees like Christmas decorations. These are Aleppo pines, not the native conifers that the birds rely on for nesting habitat and as a primary source of food. Still, the feathered ornaments appear quite content, nestled in among the spruce and ripping into pine cones with their dexterous claws and beaks, making gentle cracking sounds that punctuate the soft roar of Mallee winds. It’s a blissful scene that belies the devastation ahead. Inside the park, 70% of the cockatoo’s core habitat, an area known as “pine plains”, was scorched in January’s devastating bushfires, leaving charcoal shadows and empty space. That’s bad news for Lophochroa leadbeateri, an endangered bird previously known as the Major Mitchell’s cockatoo . The ecologist Dr Victor Hurley calls them “flame-crested”, or sometimes simply “flamin’ cockatoos”, referencing their fiery red and yellow striped crest, and the blaze of salmon pink under their wings. Two fires in 12 years is devastating for the cocka…

Ongoing drought and fires endanger Victoria's iconic wildlife Conservation agencies, landholders and citizen science groups are working to protect the South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo. Image: Bob McPherson Successive devastating bushfires have severely impacted native wildlife populations in Victoria and further catastrophic fires in coming summers could push some to the brink of extinction, a Federation University Australia researcher says. Wildlife ecologist Dr Grant Palmer says the ongoing dry conditions in the state’s west means vegetation regeneration after massive fires is lagging, including across the Grampians-Gariwerd, Little Desert and Mt Cole, where more than 70 per cent of each of the parks was burnt. This is putting species, including the South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby and Long-nosed Potoroo at risk in Victoria’s west, while elsewhere the Eastern Bristlebird, Eastern Ground Parrot, Glossy Black Cockatoos, Southern Greater Glider, Broad-toothed Rat and the Spotted-tailed Quoll continue to be challenged by conditions following the Black Summer fires in 2020. “There is always a long road to recovery after fires but these mos…