Calyptorhynchus baudinii

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PSITTACIFORMES	PSITTACIDAE

Scientific Name:

Calyptorhynchus baudinii

Species Authority:

Lear, 1832

Common Name/s:

English

–

Baudin's Black-Cockatoo, Long-billed Black Cockatoo, Long-billed Black-Cockatoo, White-tailed Black-Cockatoo

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered C2a(ii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Taylor, J., Butchart, S., Dutson, G., Garnett, S.

Contributor/s:

Garnett, S., Mawson, P., Chapman, T.

Justification:
Despite this species having a moderately small population, only about 10% of individuals make up the breeding population, and numbers are in decline. The species is therefore listed as Endangered.

History:

2005	–	Endangered
2004	–	Near Threatened
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Calyptorhynchus baudinii occurs in the south-west of Western Australia, Australia, mostly between Perth, Albany and Margaret River. Breeding occurs in the far south of the range, from Nornalup north to near Bridgetown, though sometimes further north to Lowden and Harvey¹. The species has disappeared from c.25% of its range, and is thought to have declined in density over at least another 25%. Surveys during 1995-2004 suggest that the population is probably 10,000-15,000 individuals but that only c.10% of those birds make up the breeding population in any year². Many birds thought to be this species in the far south of its range are in fact Carnaby's Black-cockatoo C. latirostris, which occurs in the forest areas at a ratio of 5:1 with respect to C. baudinii². Populations are believed to be declining in response to ongoing threats.
Countries:	Native: Australia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The 1995-2004 surveys of the species suggest the total population is probably still 10,000-15,000 individuals but that only c.10% of those birds make up the breeding population, giving an estimate of 1,000-1,500 mature individuals (P. Mawson in litt. 2004).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Restricted to moist, heavily forested areas dominated by marri Eucalyptus calophylla, karri E. diversicolor and jarrah E. marginata. Its overall non-breeding range may be determined by distribution of marri, though it does occur in apple and pear orchards and occasionally in wandoo E. wandoo woodland¹. The species mainly feeds on the seeds and flowers of marri, as well as the seeds of Banksia, Hakea and Dryandra species, Erodium botrys and jarrah, and additionally takes insect larvae⁴. It also feeds on apple and pear seeds⁴ and is considered a pest owing to the damage it causes when extracting seeds from crops in commercial orchards^3,4. Damage to commercial fruit crops is thought to be higher during local or seasonal shortages of marri seeds, and could be related to destruction of this habitat⁴. The species may live for 25 to 50 years in the wild⁴. It breeds in large hollows of old karri, marri and jarrah^1,4 within heavily forested areas¹, although recent work suggests that there are very few nest sites, that breeding occurs very infrequently and that many nest hollows are being taken over by feral bees². Breeding data has indicated that pairs raise, on average, 0.6 chicks each year. In years of poor marri seed production, the population may fail to raise any young at all⁴. The species has a strong association with very large (greater than 1.5m diameter) and old (230-300 years) marri trees, which may exacerbate declines².
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Restricted to moist, heavily forested areas dominated by marri Eucalyptus calophylla, karri E. diversicolor and jarrah E. marginata. Its overall non-breeding range may be determined by distribution of marri, though it does occur in apple and pear orchards and occasionally in wandoo E. wandoo woodland¹. The species mainly feeds on the seeds and flowers of marri, as well as the seeds of Banksia, Hakea and Dryandra species, Erodium botrys and jarrah, and additionally takes insect larvae⁴. It also feeds on apple and pear seeds⁴ and is considered a pest owing to the damage it causes when extracting seeds from crops in commercial orchards^3,4. Damage to commercial fruit crops is thought to be higher during local or seasonal shortages of marri seeds, and could be related to destruction of this habitat⁴. The species may live for 25 to 50 years in the wild⁴. It breeds in large hollows of old karri, marri and jarrah^1,4 within heavily forested areas¹, although recent work suggests that there are very few nest sites, that breeding occurs very infrequently and that many nest hollows are being taken over by feral bees². Breeding data has indicated that pairs raise, on average, 0.6 chicks each year. In years of poor marri seed production, the population may fail to raise any young at all⁴. The species has a strong association with very large (greater than 1.5m diameter) and old (230-300 years) marri trees, which may exacerbate declines².

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Up to a quarter of the species's habitat has been cleared for agriculture, with 8,933,294 m³ of marri harvested during 1976-1998². The past and present impacts of logging for marri, initially for woodchips and now for furniture grade sawlogs, are reducing the availability of food and nesting trees. The impact of logging and woodchipping has not been quantified. Although logging of old growth forest in the south-west has now stopped, habitat loss is still likely to be causing population declines, and a sawlog industry based on marri has now been proposed with a projected minimum bole log harvest of 286,000 m³ per annum². Feral bees have been found to occupy many potential nest sites, and are known to have caused the loss of chicks and killed a brooding female². Although the species has been fully protected since 1996, illegal shooting by orchardists still occurs^2,3. It is not known whether losses from shooting exceed productivity². Continued loss of forest to mining in some areas is also an issue, since revegetation will have no impact on conservation outcomes within the lifespan of this species². Competition for nests from Wood Ducks Chenonetta jubatta is thought to be increasing as duck numbers increase in the south-west².

Major Threat(s):

Up to a quarter of the species's habitat has been cleared for agriculture, with 8,933,294 m³ of marri harvested during 1976-1998². The past and present impacts of logging for marri, initially for woodchips and now for furniture grade sawlogs, are reducing the availability of food and nesting trees. The impact of logging and woodchipping has not been quantified. Although logging of old growth forest in the south-west has now stopped, habitat loss is still likely to be causing population declines, and a sawlog industry based on marri has now been proposed with a projected minimum bole log harvest of 286,000 m³ per annum². Feral bees have been found to occupy many potential nest sites, and are known to have caused the loss of chicks and killed a brooding female². Although the species has been fully protected since 1996, illegal shooting by orchardists still occurs^2,3. It is not known whether losses from shooting exceed productivity². Continued loss of forest to mining in some areas is also an issue, since revegetation will have no impact on conservation outcomes within the lifespan of this species². Competition for nests from Wood Ducks Chenonetta jubatta is thought to be increasing as duck numbers increase in the south-west².

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix II. Protected under Australian law since 1996. Forest management has now changed so that woodchipping apparently ceased in 2003. Research into the breeding biology of the species is ongoing but is hampered by difficulties in finding nests². An information sheet was produced by the Government of Western Australia in 2007, outlining the status of the species and promoting non-lethal control methods by orchardists, e.g. exclusion netting⁴. Conservation Actions Proposed Prevent illegal shooting in and around commercial orchard areas and more vigorously enforce anti-shooting legislation. Assist orchardists in developing a non-lethal damage mitigation strategy. Continue to raise awareness of the species's status amongst orchardists and promote non-lethal control methods³. Develop and implement a feral bee control strategy. Retain mature and over-mature marri trees as nest and food sources as part of forest management prescriptions². Develop a repeatable population monitoring technique. Initiate monitoring in different parts of range.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. Protected under Australian law since 1996. Forest management has now changed so that woodchipping apparently ceased in 2003. Research into the breeding biology of the species is ongoing but is hampered by difficulties in finding nests². An information sheet was produced by the Government of Western Australia in 2007, outlining the status of the species and promoting non-lethal control methods by orchardists, e.g. exclusion netting⁴.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Prevent illegal shooting in and around commercial orchard areas and more vigorously enforce anti-shooting legislation. Assist orchardists in developing a non-lethal damage mitigation strategy. Continue to raise awareness of the species's status amongst orchardists and promote non-lethal control methods³. Develop and implement a feral bee control strategy. Retain mature and over-mature marri trees as nest and food sources as part of forest management prescriptions². Develop a repeatable population monitoring technique. Initiate monitoring in different parts of range.

Bibliography [top]

	Chapman, T. F. 2007. An endangered species that is also a pest: a case study of Baudin's Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus baudinii and the pome fruit industry in south-west Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 90: 33-40. Garnett, S. T.; Crowley, G. M. 2000. The action plan for Australian birds 2000. Environment Australia, Canberra. Higgins, P. J. 1999. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds: parrots to dollarbirds. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.

Chapman, T. F. 2007. An endangered species that is also a pest: a case study of Baudin's Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus baudinii and the pome fruit industry in south-west Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 90: 33-40.

Garnett, S. T.; Crowley, G. M. 2000. The action plan for Australian birds 2000. Environment Australia, Canberra.

Higgins, P. J. 1999. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds: parrots to dollarbirds. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Calyptorhynchus baudinii. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2012.
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