During 2014 a most successful survey on the distribution of the Gang-gang cockatoos in the ACT was held to celebrate 50 years of birding activities by the Canberra Ornithologists Group.
Surprisingly the 2014 survey did not definitely confirm the presence of any nest trees, and there are just three trees known in the Canberra area in which Gang-gang chicks have been reared. Locating further nest trees will help to better understand and conserve this species.
A student at the ANU is keen to develop the survey further by examining in more detail the birds’ nesting requirements. You can help with the survey by reporting breeding observations as a sighting on Canberra Nature Map (https://canberra.naturemapr.org/).
You will be asked to provide any of the following information online:
Gender of bird observed: male, female, pair
Gang-gang behaviour:
Seen entering hollow, or
looking into hollow, or
chewing bark around hollow, or
perched near hollow.
Is this a repeat observation at this location
List other species seen entering or inspecting hollow
A photograph is required for each sighting entered into Canberra Nature Map. The location and date is stripped from the image preferences. Once logged on click ‘Add a sighting’ on the top banner, then on the drop-down box click on ‘Add a sighting’. Transfer your image, enter the abundance then select ‘Bird’ then ‘Parrot’ then ‘Callocephalon fimbriatum (Gang-gang Cockatoo)’, then supply the requested additional information.
Please contact Michael.Mulvaney@act.gov.au for further information or help with the survey or if your camera or smartphone is not GPS enabled or you don’t own one of these devices.
The aim of the survey is to obtain multiple sightings on the use of a hollow that Gang-gangs have been inspecting. In this way, information can be obtained on the hollows that have been successfully used by Gang-gangs for breeding and on those that have been unsuccessful and the reasons why. Therefore, please provide information each time you check the hollow whether Gang-gangs are present or not.
Clicking on the box on Canberra Nature Map that this is a nest site means that only the person reporting the site and the project administrators will know the location of a nest site.