Black cockatoo education and planning resources
Black cockatoos are iconic to the Western Australian landscape and rank among the state’s most recognised and cherished wildlife. The information provided here aims to support both schools and local councils—helping educators engage students in nature-based learning, and assisting councils to make informed decisions that protect and enhance vital habitat.
- With their strong community recognition and ecological significance, black cockatoos are an excellent feature species for schools, supporting curriculum-linked learning across a range of subject areas.
- Despite their popularity, black cockatoos are declining towards extinction, primarily due to ongoing habitat loss. Decisions made by local governments play a vital role in determining whether black cockatoo flocks thrive in a local area or are lost from suburbs entirely.
Resources for schools
Black cockatoo-themed educational resources for schools
Resources for councils
Information and resources for local government organisations to protect and enhance vital habitat
Links to additional resources
- Birdata: Birdlife Australia’s online Bird Monitoring Platform using a downloadable app for both android or apple phones; of use for councils wanting to promote citizen science activities for black cockatoo (and other bird) conservation in their LGA.
- Birdlife Australia: - type ‘black cockatoo’ into the home page Search bar. This will provide a range of information including advice notes on black cockatoos and your property; how to plant black cockatoo-friendly gardens; fact sheets for councils; management of phytophthora (dieback) disease, and other relevant information on black cockatoos in urban and regional areas. Be sure to look at information related specifically to Western Australia’s black cockatoos (as this site will also have information about black cockatoo species from other states).
- Birdlife Australia— Southwest black cockatoo recovery: information about Birdlife’s recovery program for black cockatoos, including summary information and advice regarding best practice in black cockatoo recovery strategies.
- Black Cockatoo Recovery Plans: on the Species Profile and Threats Database – Recovery Plans, search for the black cockatoo species that you are interested in. Note: as of 2024, the Recovery Plans for Western Australia’s three black cockatoo species are outdated, and are in the process of being revised.
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions: – type ‘black cockatoo’ into the home page Search bar. This will provide a range of information on Western Australia’s black cockatoos, including links to threatened and priority fauna resources including DBCA advice notes and fact sheets; threats; best practice management guidelines; national species Recovery Plans; and recovery projects for black cockatoos.
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, draft ‘Guide to nationally protected species significantly impacted by paddock tree removal': Australian government website with information and guidance documents regarding the importance, for black cockatoos and other hollow-dependent wildlife, of retaining single mature native trees in open spaces; including regulatory requirements.
- Nature Conservation – Black cockatoos: information from Nature Conservation’s Threatened Species Protection project to protect black cockatoos in southwest WA.
Watch latest videos
Watch our team in action and learn the science behind our research activities.