DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
National Recovery Plan for the South-eastern
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus
banksii graptogyne
First draft for Recovery Team and recovery program partner comments
July 2012
DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
This draft plan was prepared by Tim Burnard and Rachel Pritchard and the Southeastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team.
Tim Burnard
BirdLife Australia
Suite 2, 60 Leicester St
Carlton VIC 3053
Rachel Pritchard
Department of Sustainability and Environment
12 Murray St.
Heywood VIC 3304
Acknowledgements
The plan was prepared in collaboration with the Recovery Team for the South-eastern
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Key stakeholders and partners were consulted as the plan
was developed. The plan draws upon previous Recovery Plans for this species (Garnett
& Crowley 1996, Burnard & Hill 2002, D.E.W.R. 2007), and the review of the previous
recovery plan (Burnard & Pritchard 2012).
Some of the data underpinning this recovery plan is yet to be published. The authors
would like to thank Richard Hill, Paul Koch and David Williams for their cooperation in
providing key information for inclusion in this plan.
The preparation of this Plan was funded by the Australian Government and Victorian
Government via the Glenelg Hopkins and Wimmera Catchment Management
Authorities.
Disclaimer
The Australian Government, in partnership with the South Australian Department for
Environment and Natural Resources and Victorian Department of Sustainability and
Environment facilitates the publication of recovery plans to detail the actions needed for
the conservation of threatened native wildlife.
The attainment of objectives and the provision of funds may be subject to budgetary and
other constraints affecting the parties involved, and may also be constrained by the
need to address other conservation priorities. Approved recovery actions may be subject
to modification due to changes in knowledge and changes in conservation status.
Copyright XXXXXX
Publication Reference XXXXXXXX
Copies may be obtained from:
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Project Coordinator
BirdLife Australia
Suite 2, 60 Leicester St
Carlton VIC 3053
http://www.redtail.com.au/media/fact-sheets.html
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Contents
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... ii
1. Summary ..................................................................................................................... 4
2. Species Information ..................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Conservation Status ............................................................................................... 5
2.2 Ecology .................................................................................................................. 5
2.3 Distribution ............................................................................................................. 6
2.4 Habitat.................................................................................................................... 8
2.5 Populations and sites ........................................................................................... 10
2.6 Threats ................................................................................................................. 10
2.7 Previous and existing management ..................................................................... 13
3. Recovery Program ..................................................................................................... 16
3.1 Long-term Recovery Strategy .............................................................................. 16
3.2 Objectives and Criteria ......................................................................................... 17
3.3 Recovery Actions ................................................................................................. 19
3.4 Implementation .................................................................................................... 28
3.5 Guide for decision makers ................................................................................... 29
3.6 Management practices ......................................................................................... 29
3.7 Affected interests ................................................................................................. 30
3.8 Indigenous roles and interests ............................................................................. 31
3.9 Social and economic benefits/impacts ................................................................. 31
3.10 Biodiversity benefits/impacts .............................................................................. 33
3.11 International obligations ..................................................................................... 34
4 References ................................................................................................................. 34
5 Appendices ................................................................................................................. 36
5.1 Threat risk analysis .............................................................................................. 36
5.2 Action prioritisation ............................................................................................... 37
5.3 Implementation costs ........................................................................................... 39
5.4 Priority areas for regeneration and revegetation of habitats................................. 43
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1. Summary
This recovery plan outlines the long-term strategy, and short-term objectives, for the
recovery of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii
graptogyne). This plan is the fourth recovery plan for the species, and provides recovery
objectives and actions for a five-year period, commencing in 2012/13.
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is listed as ‘Endangered’ under the
Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC
Act), and is also listed as a threatened species in the two states in which it occurs
(South Australia and Victoria).
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is found in the south east of South
Australia and far south west Victoria. The single population of 1500-1800 individuals is
believed to be continuing to decline in response to declining habitat. The cockatoo
relies on the seeds of only three tree species for food, and food shortages are believed
to be limiting recovery. Approximately half of the historic feeding habitat has been
cleared for agriculture, with limited natural recruitment of new trees due to inappropriate
agricultural practices and browsing. Remaining habitat is at risk of further losses through
land clearing and senescence, and reduced productivity due to inappropriate agricultural
practices, catastrophic fire, inappropriate fire regimes, invasive woody weeds, and the
impacts of pathogens and pests of food trees. Further, the sub-species is at risk of
climate change, nest predation and poaching.
The plan sets out a long-term, 50 year, objective for recovery of the sub-species, and
two short-term, 5 year, objectives to meet the short term needs of the South-eastern
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo while attending to long term rehabilitation of essential
habitats.
This five-year plan has two primary objectives to progress recovery. They are:
Objective 1. To achieve sufficient gains in the extent of feeding and nesting habitats to
support the long-term recovery objective.
Objective 2. To effectively manage the most significant short term threats to recruitment
of South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.
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2. Species Information
2.1 Conservation Status
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is listed as Endangered under the
Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC
Act 1999), Endangered in Schedule 7 of the South Australian National Parks and
Wildlife Act 1972, and Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act
1988.
In addition, the species is listed as Endangered under the, the Action Plan for Australian
Birds 2010 (Garnett et al. 2011) and the Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna
in Victoria (DSE 2007). The species Calyptorhynchus banksii is listed as Least Concern
under the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red
List (IUCN 2012). The Red List does not have separate listings for each sub-species.
2.2 Ecology
A detailed summary is provided in Higgins (1999), Koch (2003), Commonwealth of
Australia (2006) and Maron et al. (2008). Additional information relevant to recovery is
summarised here.
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne) is
a large (48-52cm), nomadic cockatoo restricted to the far south west of Victoria and
south east of South Australia. It is the smallest of five subspecies of the Red-tailed
Black-Cockatoo (Ford 1980). Like many cockatoos, this sub-species is relatively longlived, and may live over 30 years in the wild..
The sub-species has highly specialised food requirements; dependent on the seeds of
only three tree species: Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri), Desert Stringybark
(Eucalyptus arenacea) and Buloke (Allocasuarina luehmannii). Consumption of other
seed sources is negligible.
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos are highly mobile and move throughout their
range to exploit variable food resources. Concentrations of birds are reported in some
years in areas of Brown Stringybark, and in other years in areas of Desert Stringybark.
These movements appear to be in response to the abundance of seed in these two key
food species. Both stringybark species only set a new seed crop every few years (with
the two species often seeding in different years), but hold seed in capsules on the tree
for several years. Buloke, by contrast, provides a seasonal food resource usually in late
summer to early autumn, after which seed is dropped from the tree. Movements into
Buloke habitat reflect this availability.
The birds prefer to feed in trees that provide the most efficient feeding opportunities.
Larger trees, or trees carrying the heaviest seed crops (often one in the same), are
preferred over those carrying less seed. In addition, more recently matured stringybark
capsules are preferred over older capsules due to greater ease of opening and higher
seed loads within younger capsules.
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When few birds are breeding (autumn and winter) large flocks of over 100 birds can be
observed feeding together, and several flocks may join together at dusk to visit a
watering point (e.g. farm dam or trough) before roosting at a communal roosting site.
Most breeding activity occurs in spring and summer, however, active nests have been
found throughout the year. Breeding birds are often found in small family groups (2-3
birds), and groups may gather together at communal drinking sites at dusk. Breeding
ecology is poorly understood because of the difficulty locating nests and following the
life history of individuals. Available data are summarised in Commonwealth of Australia
(2006). Nesting may occur as single nests or in loose clusters. Only females incubate
the single egg and brood the young chick, and are fed by the male during this time. Both
sexes leave the nest to forage and return to feed older chicks. Fledging success of 10
nests found as eggs between 1998 and 1999 was 30% (R. Hill unpubl. data). It is likely
that many pairs fail to fledge any young some years. Food availability and feeding
efficiency may limit reproductive success, at least in some years. Breeding males
feeding on stringybark have been recorded spending up to 90% of their day actively
feeding (Koch 2003); suggesting males may struggle to find enough food to feed
themselves, their mate and their chick.
Recruitment of young into the adult population is difficult to measure directly, due to the
difficulties noted above and because juveniles and sub-adults resemble females. Flock
counts conducted in late autumn when most birds are not breeding, measure the
proportion of adult males in flocks as a proxy measure of the proportion of juveniles and
sub-adults. The proportion of males in autumn flocks has varied between 35% and 49%
since 1999 (weighted means, R. Hill, R. Pritchard & D. Williams unpubl. data). Years
with a high proportion of males (and presumably lower proportion of juveniles and subadults) are associated with periods of few or no recent seeding events in the two
stringybark species, while years with low proportion of males (and presumably higher
proportion of juveniles and sub-adults) are associated with recent seeding events (R.
Hill, R. Pritchard, D. Williams & P. Koch unpubl. data). It is unknown what level of
recruitment is required to achieve a stable population.
The single population is believed to be in a continued decline based on the following
evidence:

Continued decline in the extent of habitat (Maron et al. 2008)

The high proportion of males in non-breeding flocks in some years, suggesting
low production of juveniles and low recruitment of sub-adults
It is difficult to measure decline directly for this sub-species due to its long life-span and
slow reproductive strategy, nomadic movements, and difficulties following the life-history
of individuals.
2.3 Distribution
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is endemic to a small area of south
eastern Australia, occupying adjacent areas of far south west Victoria and south east
South Australia (Figure 1). The range extends between Portland, Casterton, Toolondo,
Natimuk, Dimboola, Nhill and Kaniva in Victoria and Keith, Lucindale and Mt Gambier in
South Australia; with a total extent of occurrence of approximately 18 000km2.
Extralimital records are likely to be vagrants. The species is widespread but rare within
this range, and its nomadic movements mean that many habitats are only used
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occasionally. See Higgins (1999) and Commonwealth of Australia (2006) for a summary
of published material outlining the sub-species’ distribution.
Figure 1. Estimated range of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and extent of
stringybark feeding habitats (Hill, R. in prep.).
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2.4 Habitat
Detailed habitat descriptions, including information on habitat distribution and
availability, can be found in Koch (2003), and Maron et al. (2008), and is summarised
here. Habitat definitions for the purposes of this document are as follows:

Patches of habitat refers to trees growing in open or closed woodlands or forests,
with total canopy cover equal to or above 20%

Scattered paddock trees refers to trees growing as isolated trees, where total
canopy cover is below 20%.

Current habitat refers to habitat trees that currently meet the habitat preferences
of South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos (e.g. tree size, hollow size)

Potential future habitat refers to habitat trees that are not yet mature enough to
provide preferred habitat (e.g. trees below preferred size, eucalypts yet to form
hollows).
Feeding Habitat
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is highly specialised, feeding primarily on
the seeds of Desert and Brown Stringybark, and seasonally on the seeds of Buloke.
The two stringybark species do not produce seed every year, with flowering years
occurring approximately every 2-4 years for Brown Stringybark and approximately every
3 years for Desert Stringybark. Seed capsules ripen 9-12 months after flowering. Seed
is retained in capsules on the tree, providing a year-round food resource. However, as
seed capsules age, they become more woody and insect attack reduces seed load per
capsule. Larger trees often carry more seed capsules. Trees occurring on the edges of
patches or as scattered paddock trees carry more seed capsules than those in the
middle of patches.
Buloke is dioecious, with separate male and female trees. Although the birds only feed
on the female trees (those carrying seed), it is unknown what distribution of male trees is
required for successful fertilisation of female trees. Both male and female Buloke trees
are therefore critical to the food source for the cockatoo. Buloke seed is produced in
most years, although some years are more productive than others. The seed is only
held on the tree between early summer and late autumn, so provides a limited, but
seasonally preferred, food source. Larger trees carry higher seed capsule loads.
The cockatoo’s mobility, combined with strong preferences for high efficiency feeding
opportunities (more capsules per tree), leads to three important patterns in habitat
values:

larger (older) trees are more productive than smaller trees

scattered paddock trees often provide important food sources in fragmented
landscapes because tree size and productivity are stronger predictors of use than
tree context, and

stringybark trees on patch edges, and in scattered contexts, are many times more
productive than stringybark trees within patches.
Roosting Habitat
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos usually roost in clumps of tall eucalypts and
may use the same site for many months. Of 19 roost sites, 79% were copses of River
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Red Gums (E. camaldulensis), 16% in Yellow Gums (E. leucoxylon) and 5% in Manna
Gums (E. viminalis cygnetensis). Roost sites are known from both public and private
land, and some roadside roost sites are known.
Breeding Habitat
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo require large hollows (15-50cm) for nesting,
which naturally occur in very old, large eucalypts over 220 years old (Gibbons &
Lindenmayer 2002). Nests are known from both live and dead trees, and most known
nest sites are in large scattered River Red Gums on private land. However, nests are
also known to occur in other eucalypt species and in woodland and forest patches. It is
likely many unknown nest sites occur in patches of habitat, where nest detection is
much more difficult.
Previous work suggested a relationship between nesting trees and feeding habitat, with
all nests reported to be within 5km of >5ha blocks of stringybark (Hill & Burnard 2001).
This relationship is currently under re-examination with new nesting data, but it is likely
that there is some ecologically-significant spatial relationship between breeding and
feeding habitat.
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos are also known to nest in artificial nesting
hollows made by either mounting natural hollows rescued from fallen trees, or (more
rarely) plastic PVC pipe modified to provide a nesting hollow.
Habitat critical to survival
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo requires all three food tree species
(Brown and Desert Stringybark, and Buloke) to provide food resources in all seasons
and all years. Because the birds are very mobile, and move throughout the range to
exploit the most efficient feeding opportunities, all current feeding habitat is important for
the sub-species survival.
Current stringybark habitat includes trees of a range of sizes and contexts. There is no
known minimum size of stringybark feed trees, although it is estimated that a tree may
need to be at least 15 years old to reach levels of capsule availability preferred by the
cockatoos (P. Koch, pers. comm.). Current Buloke habitat appears to be limited to trees
over 19cm DBH (est. age 100 years). The cockatoos show a strong preference for
Buloke trees over 30cm DBH (est. age 200 years). There are estimated to be only
87000 Bulokes of this size remaining in the range (approximately 45000 occurring as
scattered paddock trees). All Buloke trees below 19cm DBH are potential future habitat.
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo uses scattered eucalypts and eucalypt
forests and woodlands for nesting and roosting, usually in areas close to feeding
habitats. Current nesting habitat includes all eucalypts bearing hollows of a sufficient
size, within 5km of feeding habitat. This habitat type is important for the sub-species
survival. All eucalypts yet to develop hollows are potential future habitats.
Because this species is nomadic, absence of records of birds using an area does not
suggest that the habitat is not important for the sub-species long-term survival. All
habitats that meet current habitat preferences within the species range are important,
regardless of when birds were last sighted there. Further, because many preferred
habitat trees are very old (Buloke trees >200 years, nesting trees > 220 years), potential
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future habitat areas supporting trees below preferred size are important to ensure
habitat continuity into the future.
2.5 Populations and sites
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo occurs as a single population that moves
nomadically throughout the range with the result that population size is difficult to
estimate accurately, and trends are difficult to detect. The total population size is
estimated to be between 1500 and 1800 birds (with maximum counts of numbers known
to be alive of 1404 in 2008 and 1468 in 2012).
2.6 Threats
The threats to the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo are summarised in Table 1,
with detailed descriptions below. A risk analysis of the treats is presented in section 5.1.
Table 1. Known and potential threats to the recovery of the South-eastern Red-tailed BlackCockatoo. Evidence for impact refers to the available evidence that the threatening process is
currently, or will in the future, limit recovery of the species (see threat descriptions for details of
evidence). Risk ratings follow the methods described in section 5.1.
Threat
Cause
Lack of feeding habitat
Permanent loss of current feeding
and nesting habitats
Permitted and illegal clearance
Evidence
for
impact
Strong
Strong
Senescence
Inappropriate agricultural practices
Moderate
Strong
Very High
Very High
Browsing
Inappropriate agricultural practices
Catastrophic fire
Inappropriate fire regimes
Invasive woody weeds
Pathogens and pests of food trees
Weak
Moderate
Strong
Strong
Moderate
Weak
Weak
Moderate
Weak
Moderate
Very High
High
High
High
Moderate
Very High
Moderate
Moderate
Limited recruitment of feeding and
nesting habitat
Degradation of feeding habitats
Climate change
Nest predation
Poaching
Risk
Rating
Very High
Very High
Lack of feeding habitat
Vegetation communities containing the three primary food tree species have been
subject to extensive clearing for agriculture. Historic clearance rates are summarised in
Maron et al. (2008). Because the production of juveniles and recruitment of sub-adults
appears to be related to food availability (R. Hill, R. Pritchard, D. Williams & P. Koch
unpubl. data), reduced feeding habitat is likely to limit recovery of this sub-species.
Burnard and Hill (2002) reported that 54% of stringybark woodlands and >97% of Buloke
woodlands had been cleared since pre-European times. Stringybark woodlands are
much more depleted in South Australia (87% cleared) than in Victoria (42% cleared).
More recent aerial photography analysis (Maron et al. 2008) shows a 44.6% loss in
stringybark habitats between 1947 and 2004, and a 48.3% loss in Buloke habitat
between 1963 and 2004.
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Permanent loss of current feeding and nesting habitats
The three feed tree species, and large hollow-bearing eucalypts that provide nesting
habitat, are all subject to continued loss. Maron et al. 2008 estimate that, even with
management of key threats, continued habitat loss will likely produce a future bottleneck
in habitat, with the timing and size dependent on the measures to protect and restore
habitats.
The following two processes are the most significant contributors to loss:

Permitted and illegal clearance. Recent rates of clearance were identified by
Maron et al. (2008) and are summarised in Table 2. Although these data only
measure loss up to 2004, it is likely that continued losses are occurring because
many of the motivations for clearance remain.
Importantly, much of the preferred habitat of the South-eastern Red-tailed BlackCockatoo is on private land, where competing land uses motivate permitted and
illegal clearances of habitat. In the northern parts of the range an increase in
more intense cropping regimes, using centre pivot irrigation, or GPS guided
machinery, has led to removal of scattered trees from paddocks that were
historically grazed or subject to less intensive cropping practices.
While native vegetation retention legislation in both states provides relatively
effective protection for intact woodland and forest patches, scattered paddock
trees are often afforded lower levels of protection due to their perceived lower
conservation value. However, scattered trees provide significant habitat values
for the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Approximately half of the
remaining Buloke trees that provide current feeding habitat occur on private land
as scattered paddock trees (Maron et al. 2008).
Table 2. Recent patterns in habitat distribution and clearance summarised from Maron et al. (2008).
Habitat component
Desert Stringybark
Brown Stringybark
Buloke – patches
Buloke –paddock trees
Nesting trees
Recent rate of change in
Victoria
(years of measurement)
0.24% loss p.a.
(1992/7 -2004)
0.07% gain p.a.
(1992/7-2004)
0.1% gain p.a.
(1997-2004)
9.8% loss p.a.
(1997-2004)
0.56% loss p.a.
(1992/7-2004)
Recent rate of change in
South Australia
(years of measurement)
No change
(1997-2004)
0.11% loss p.a.
(1997-2004)
No change
(1997-2004)
7.1% loss p.a.
(1997-2004)
0.31% loss p.a.
(1997-2004)
Some removal of habitat (both legal and illegal) may occur on public land subject
to collection of timber for firewood. Legal firewood collection practices are unlikely
to impact many habitat trees because site selection by authorities favours
younger, thicker regrowth areas over very large old trees. Illegal firewood
collection, however, may result in the loss of some habitat trees. Illegal removal
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of native vegetation, for any purpose, is subject to native vegetation retention
laws in each state.

Senescence. Many preferred feed trees are very large, very old trees, subject to
decline with age. In particular, preferred Buloke feed trees are estimated to be
over 200 years old. Natural rates of loss of these trees are unknown, but some
natural losses are inevitable and will contribute to the future decline in extent of
habitat.
Limited recruitment of feeding and nesting habitat
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos require mature trees to provide feeding and
nesting habitat; preferring larger stringybark food trees over smaller trees, Bulokes over
200 years old, and eucalypt nesting trees over 220 years old. As older trees are lost,
through natural or human-induced causes, replacement by new trees, through natural
recruitment or revegetation, is a very slow process. Inadequate recruitment of young
trees into middle age classes of vegetation in the past will contribute to habitat
shortages in the future (Maron et al. 2008). Habitat recruitment is limited by two main
processes:

Inappropriate agricultural practices, such as grazing, slashing, ripping, stubble
burning, prevent natural recruitment of seedlings under trees growing in
agricultural contexts.

Browsing, by native species such as Eastern Grey Kangaroos, or introduced
species such as European Rabbits, can limit natural recruitment. The impact of
this process on South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo habitat is not known.
Feeding habitat degradation
Given the historic and ongoing decline in the extent of feeding habitat, threats to the
productivity and longevity of feeding habitats further contribute to current and potential
future food shortages. Habitat quality can be compromised by:

Inappropriate agricultural practices including: heavy grazing resulting in
ringbarking, stubble burning underneath scattered paddock trees, ripping under
scattered paddock trees disturbing roots, and inappropriate use of farm chemicals
on or under paddock trees leading to increased death rates.

Catastrophic fire has the potential to impact food availability across large areas of
the landscape where extensive blocks of woodlands and forests are present.
When fire scorches the crown of stringybark trees (causing leaf death), trees
suffer reduced seed production for an average of 10 years (Koch 2003). Largescale intense bushfire events have the potential to reduce food availability across
a large portion of the range for an average of 10 years, which would likely impact
on recruitment and recovery.

Inappropriate fire regimes also have the potential to impact on a large amount of
the available feeding habitat. Crown scorch impacts from planned burning are
similar to those from bushfire – an intense fire producing crown scorch will reduce
productivity for an average of 10 years (Koch 2003). Planned burning regimes
that create crown scorch impacts over a large proportion of habitat in any 10 year
period are likely to limit food availability and therefore recruitment and recovery.

Invasive woody weeds increase competition for food trees in disturbed woodland
and forest patches. Significant weeds include pines (Pinus sp.), boneseed
(Chrysanthemoides monilifera), coast wattle (Acacia longifolia subsp. Sophorae)
and sallow wattle (Acacia longifolia subsp. Longifolia) growing outside their
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
indigenous ranges. The impacts of woody weed competition of food availability
are not known; however it is known that stringybark trees with less competition
(on forest/woodland edges and as scattered trees) produce higher seed loads
than those within forest and woodland patches. It is therefore likely that increased
competition reduces seed production of stringybark trees.
Pathogens and pests of food trees (for example a small group of moths
commonly known as Cup Moths) may cause damage to large areas of feeding
habitat in episodic events. The impact of these events on the South-eastern Redtailed Black-Cockatoo food supply is unknown.
Climate change
The potential impacts of climate change on the South-eastern Red-tailed BlackCockatoo are poorly understood. Impacts may include declining productivity and
increased death rates of food trees through increased climatic stress or changes to fire
regimes, reduced success rates for regrowth and revegetation projects, and potentially
changed phenology of food trees leading to changes in food supply. The impacts of
climate change may be greater in the lower rainfall parts of the species range.
Nest predation
Predation of nests by Brush-tailed Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) is known to occur,
and is likely to be particularly prevalent where nests occur in scattered trees rather than
in woodlands (Jarmyn 2000). The Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) and ravens (Corvus
spp.) are also likely nest predators. The impacts of nest predation at the population level
are unknown because of the difficulty of locating nest sites for observation. Most known
nests are located in scattered trees rather than woodlands and forests, due to greater
likelihood of detection.
Poaching
Some intelligence is available to suggest that there are some South-eastern Red-tailed
Black-Cockatoo illegally held in captivity. Due to the nature of poaching activities, it is
very difficult to know how often birds are collected from the wild, and what the impacts of
these activities are at the population level.
2.7 Previous and existing management
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo has been the subject of National
Recovery Plans since 1996. The recovery program has included the following broad
strategies since that time:

Increase knowledge of key ecological requirements to improve management

Maintain the area, and improve management of, current habitats

Support reproduction by managing nest predation and poaching

Establish new potential future habitats

Involve the community in recovery

Coordinate recovery through a National Recovery Team
Partnership and landscape conservation programs
A detailed history of past work benefiting the recovery program is provided in
Commonwealth of Australia (2006). Partnership and landscape conservation programs
that have significantly benefited the program include:

Significant research projects to determine the factors limiting food supply in
stringybark (Koch 2003, Maron et al. 2008) and Buloke (Maron 2004, Maron & Lill
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
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

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


2004, Maron et al. 2008). The most recent of these reports (Maron et al. 2008)
has provided the basis for targets set in this recovery plan.
Improvements to legislation and planning tools to better protect key habitats
including state-wide statutory protection for standing dead trees (potential nesting
habitat) in South Australia and Victoria, and specific habitat protection controls
included in two planning schemes in Victoria (West Wimmera Shire and Glenelg
Shire).
The development and implementation of fire management guidelines to manage
a key threat to stringybark feeding habitats, in both Victoria and South Australia.
The first threatened species targeted market based incentive program for
improved habitat stewardship on private land in Victoria was the Wimmera
Catchment Management Authority’s Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Habitat Tender.
This project paid successful landholders to implement five-year management
plans to improve the quality of key habitats in the WCMA region.
The Kowree Farm Tree Group has been undertaking Buloke revegetation work in
the Wimmera region under the Landbank project since 2009. The group is
comprised of farmers, helping other farmers, to achieve conservation outcomes
on their land. The group has developed unrivalled experience and knowledge in
the techniques required to successfully revegetate landscapes with the slowgrowing Buloke. Their most recent project has involved restoring Buloke to 800
hectares of land purchased by mecu and given permanent protection with a
covenant from Trust For Life.
The Zoos SA Cockies helping Cockies helping Cockies project has been
protecting and restoring Desert Stringybark on private land in the Lucindale and
Naracoorte areas since 2009. The facilitator is a local landholder, and works on
building interest and capacity among clusters of landholders, with a focus on
developing a strong connection between landholders and the South-eastern Redtailed Black-Cockatoo.
Conservation Volunteers Australia’s Wild Futures Program includes a Southeastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo project, and has been engaging volunteers to
manage and restore habitats since 2010.
Trust for Nature continues to covenant and improve management of key habitats.
Greening Australia’s Habitat 141 project aims to achieve significant gains in
habitat restoration.
Forestry organisations are improving management of remnant habitat patches to
meet the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council. Greening Australia
provides and advisory service to assist organisations to identify priority areas and
management actions to benefit South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.
Previous recovery plan
An extensive review of the delivery of the most recent National Recovery Plan for the
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo during the period 2007-2012 has been
conducted with a view to identifying the strengths and areas for improvement in the
recovery program and priorities for this recovery plan (Burnard & Pritchard, 2012). The
results of the review are summarised here.
The overall objective of the National Recovery Plan for the South-eastern Red-tailed
Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne (2007) was not completely
achieved in the period 2007-2012. Whilst the program did “initiate longer-term measures
designed to ensure the persistence of a viable breeding population” it was unable to
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“demonstrate within five years a reversal of recent population declines”. The main
reason for this short-coming is that this component of the objective was not achievable
in a five-year timeframe.
One of four specific objectives contained in the Plan was fully achieved and the other
three were partially achieved. These objectives related to improving the management of
key sites and habitat, and increasing community awareness and participation in the
recovery program. Significant achievements during the period 2007-2012 include:

Detailed mapping of habitat, including a thorough analysis of the current
distribution of Buloke habitat and recent rates of Buloke loss

Improved statutory protection of habitat values, in part informed by the above
analyses

Increased knowledge and capacity for agency staff to manage habitats and make
decisions that reflect the needs of South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo

Increased access to information by the community through newsletters and the
Red-tail website

Increased community participation in on-ground habitat conservation through
programs that specifically address the interests of farmers.
Two specific objectives were not fully achieved because they specifically aimed to meet
the component of the overall objective relating to an increase in population size, which
was not achievable within five years.
The review identifies achievements and short-comings, and the following
recommendations for this recovery plan:

Identify a long-term objective or vision to create a context for achievable five-year
objectives

Ensure that performance criteria are practically measurable, and that realistic and
achievable actions are included to facilitate the collection of information required
to report against the criteria

Ensure five-year objectives are likely to be met if all actions associated with each
objective are completed

Ensure that the plan is simple and adaptive enough to be useful to the Recovery
Team and recovery program partners throughout the implementation phase
(approximately five years)

Identify a framework for setting priorities for threats and actions and a process for
managing changes to priorities during the implementation phase – allocate limited
resources to high priority activities or identify where they can be sourced. Annual
work plans can be developed and used to clearly identify current priorities, and
can be adapted following annual reviews of progress against the recovery plan.
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3. Recovery Program
3.1 Long-term Recovery Strategy
The vision of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo recovery program is for both
current and future generations to hear the sound of Red-tail flocks ring out across Redtail country.
The long-term, 50 year objective of the recovery program is shaped by the above vision.
The long-term objective is to have sufficient Buloke, stringybark and eucalypt woodland
habitats to sustain a stable viable population of South-eastern Red-tailed BlackCockatoos.
The long-term target for habitat availability is to return, as soon as possible, to the extent
of available habitats that was measured in 2004, with no further declines in habitat
predicted. This target is assumed to be sufficient to sustain a stable population of
cockatoos of over 1000 birds (based on the observation of a declining population of at
least 1400 birds in 2008).
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo recovery program is focused on long
time-frames because some key elements of this sub-species’ ecology demand it. In
particular:

Cockatoos are long-lived, with slow reproductive strategies, so population
responses to changed management are often slow to occur and difficult to detect.

Current habitat shortages are impossible to remedy quickly, and indeed are
expected to worsen before they improve, because many preferred habitat trees
are very old (e.g. Buloke over 200 years old), so revegetation efforts will take
many decades to become preferred habitat.
The combination of current and predicted future habitat shortages is expected to result
in further population declines in the future (Maron et al. 2008), with little capacity to
change this trajectory in the short-term. However, strategic habitat management in the
coming decades can ensure there is sufficient habitat for a future stable population as
young habitats mature. Whilst it is essential to take a long term view for recovery of this
sub-species, there are also some actions needed in the short term to minimise the
projected population declines.
The recovery strategy to meet the long-term objective will therefore continue to involve:

Minimising losses of current habitats

Establishing new habitat areas, through natural recruitment and large-scale
strategic revegetation programs, to provide more habitat for the future

Maximising productivity of current habitats to minimise the impacts of habitat
shortages

Managing direct threats to the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo to
maintain capacity for the population to recover in the long-term.
This recovery plan includes two primary objectives and two supporting objectives to
progress the long-term recovery strategy over a five-year period.
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3.2 Objectives and Criteria
Primary Objectives
The primary objectives of this Recovery Plan aim to directly support the long-term
recovery strategy for the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo over the next five
years.
Objective 1. To achieve sufficient gains in the extent of feeding and nesting habitats to
support the long-term recovery objective.
Achievement of this objective will deliver the long-term habitat gains required to
limit the severity of the predicted future bottleneck in habitat availability, and
achieve the long-term recovery objective. Changes in the extent of habitat will be
measured against the extent of habitat in 2004 as mapped and presented by
Maron et al. (2004). Annual revegetation targets have been informed by habitat
modelling work presented in Maron et al. (2004), and aim to begin restoring
habitat at a sufficient rate to achieve the long-term recovery objective.
Two strategies will be employed to meet this objective
Strategy 1. Maintain the extent of current habitats.
Strategy 2. Increase the extent of potential future habitats.
Achievement of this objective will be measured by the following criteria:
Criterion 1. Losses of current feeding and nesting habitats have been minimised.
Criterion 2. Offsets for unavoidable habitat losses have been appropriate to
ensure the long-term objective remains within reach.
Criterion 3. At least 18000 new Buloke trees have been established each year,
for five years, through a combination of revegetation and regeneration.
Criterion 4. At least 10000 new stringybark trees have been established each
year, for five years, through a combination of revegetation and regeneration.
Objective 2. To effectively manage the most significant short term threats to recruitment
of South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.
Achievement of this objective will relieve some current pressures on the Southeastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo population. This objective aims to slow
population decline to the maximum extent possible. Some continued decline is an
unavoidable consequence of the predicted future bottleneck in habitat availability.
Two strategies will be employed to meet this objective
Strategy 3. Increase the area of current stringybark feeding habitats managed to
maintain or enhance seed production.
Strategy 4. Manage significant direct threats to recruitment.
Achievement of this objective will be measured by the following criteria:
To measure management to maintain productivity of feeding habitats over a
consistent area of habitat:
Criterion 5. No more than 15% of stringybark habitat on public land has been
crown scorched in any 10 year period.
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To measure management to increase the area receiving management to improve
productivity of feeding habitats:
Criterion 6. At least 1500 hectares of feeding habitats in patches have been
treated for woody weed infestation per year.
Criterion 7. At least 40 Desert Stringybark and 40 Buloke scattered paddock trees
have been protected from threats each year (in addition to any trees protected as
part of an offset requirement).
To measure management of direct threats to recruitment:
Criterion 8. All high to very high risk direct threats to reproductive success and
recruitment have been managed.
Criterion 9. All low to moderate risk direct threats to reproductive success and
recruitment have been assessed to identify management requirements.
Supporting Objectives
The following objectives are required to support delivery of the primary objectives and
the recovery program. Achievement of supporting objectives will be measured by
implementation of the actions to deliver the strategies associated with each objective.
Objective 3. Ensure landscape-scale delivery through strong linkages among recovery
program partners and the community.
The strategy to meet this objective will be:
Strategy 5. Foster and maintain relationships with partners, stakeholders and the
community.
Objective 4. Ensure effective and adaptive implementation.
Two strategies will be employed to meet this objective
Strategy 6. Manage, review and report on progress
Strategy 7. Obtain and analyse information to measure and improve
implementation.
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STRATEGIES
OBJECTIVES
3.3 Recovery Actions
Recovery actions have been developed to implement the strategies that aim to meet the objectives of this plan. The relationship
between objectives, strategies and actions is described below:
O1. To achieve
sufficient gains in the
extent of feeding and
nesting habitats to
support the long-term
recovery objective
S1.
Maintain
the extent
of current
habitats
A2. Plant or
encourage
regeneration
of all key
habitats
S3. Increase area of
current stringybark
feeding habitats
managed to maintain
or enhance seed
production
A3. Manage
threats to the
productivity of
feeding
habitat
patches
O3. Ensure landscape-scale
delivery through strong
linkages among recovery
program partners and the
community
S4. Manage
significant direct
threats to
recruitment
A4. Manage
threats to the
productivity of
feeding
habitat in
scattered
trees
A5. Assess
and manage
direct threats
to recruitment
ACTIONS
A1.
Protect
habitat
from loss
S2.
Increase
the extent
of
potential
future
habitats
O2. To effectively manage
the most significant short
term threats to recruitment
of SeRtBC
S5. Foster
and maintain
relationships
A6.
Communicate
effectively with
partners,
stakeholders
and the
community
O4. Ensure
effective and
adaptive
implementation
S6. Manage,
review and
report on
progress
A8. Coordinate
implementation
A7. Support
community
participation
in recovery
actions
S7. Obtain and
analyse
information to
measure and
improve
implementation
A9. Monitor
the population
and habitat
A10.
Undertake
essential
research to
underpin
management
decisions
Governance, communication, adaptive management
Recovery work – activities that directly address the long-term recovery strategy
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Action 1. Protect habitat from loss
Very High Priority
Protect current and potential future feeding and nesting habitat from permanent loss.
Essential tasks include (in no particular order):
a) Minimise, to the greatest extent possible, permitted clearance of feeding and
nesting habitats, through effective implementation of planning laws, and
improvements to regulations where required
b) Monitor for incidents of illegal habitat clearance, and undertake compliance
activities as required
c) Appropriately offset permitted and illegal clearances
d) Report on avoided, permitted, and illegal losses, and accepted offsets to the
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team annually
Complimentary tasks are to be managed adaptively and are likely to include:
e) Permanently protect at-risk habitats through the use of covenants and land
purchase
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategies 1 and 2 are
implemented and that the objective 1 is achieved.
Implementation notes
Responsible authorities may require specific South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
habitat protection measures to ensure regulations reflect the importance of scattered
paddock trees, and the very long habitat replacement times for the South-eastern Redtailed Black-Cockatoo. For example, Environmental Significance Overlays (or similar
legislative tools) may be required to add specific permit requirements to decision-making
processes. The West Wimmera Shire Council Planning Scheme includes an example of
such an overlay. Priority for protection should be afforded first to current habitats, and
then to existing potential future habitats.
Illegal clearance may be undertaken through manual removal of living or dead trees, or
by deliberate inappropriate management of trees to promote tree death, followed by
manual removal of dead trees. Responsible authorities require methods to monitor, and
respond, to both forms of illegal clearance. Aerial photograph analysis provides an
accurate means to identify significant illegal clearances of habitat. Although potentially
expensive, follow-up flights and photographs of at-risk areas within 12-14 months of
large-scale aerial photography projects (e.g. whole of shire projects) may provide useful
evidence to trigger on-ground inspections.
Offsets for habitat removal will be most effective when they take into account the values
that the lost vegetation provided to South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos, and
replace those lost values in the short-term by improving productivity and security of
other at-risk habitats, as well as replacing the lost values in the longer-term through
revegetation and recruitment. See Maron et al. (2008) for guidance on appropriate
offsets for habitat removal.
Annual reporting to the Recovery Team will be included in annual reviews of progress
against the recovery plan, including performance criteria 1 and 2.
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
DEWNR (a-e)
BirdLife Australia (e)
DSE (a-e)
Greening Australia (e)
DSEWPaC (a-c)
SeRtBC RT (d-e)
Local Governments (a-e)
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TfN (e)
Action 2. Plant or encourage regeneration of key habitats
Very High Priority
Plant or encourage regeneration of key habitats in priority areas. Tasks are to be
managed adaptively but are likely to include (in no particular order):
a) Purchase, covenant, or otherwise secure sufficient land to meet planting and
regeneration targets
b) Plant or encourage regeneration of 18000 new Buloke plants per year, for five
years
c) Plant or encourage regeneration of 10000 new stringybark plants per year, for
five years
d) Report on the number of new habitat plants established per year to the Southeastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team annually
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 2 is
implemented and that objective 1 is achieved.
Implementation notes
Priority areas for revegetation and regeneration of habitats were developed by Maron et
al. (2008) and maps are provided in section 5.4. Habitat restoration at this scale will
require investment at the landscape scale, involving some significant large-scale
property restoration projects. For example, the Buloke target of 18000 plants is likely to
require at least 21 hectares to be planted each year. Significant partnerships will be
required. Successful implementation models include the partnership between mecu and
Kowree Farm Tree Group, and the Zoos SA Cockies helping Cockies helping Cockies
project.
Projects should pursue opportunities to establish new scattered paddock trees and in
the case of stringybark should prioritise Desert Stringybark over the more common
Brown Stringybark, as well as patches of habitat, due to the importance of scattered
paddock trees to South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.
Annual reporting to the Recovery Team will be included in annual reviews of progress
against the recovery plan, including performance criteria 3 and 4.
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
DSE (a-d)
BirdLife Australia (b-d)
DEWNR (a-d)
Conservation Volunteers Australia (b-d)
GHCMA (b-d)
Greening Australia (a-d)
Trust for Nature (a,d)
Kowree Farm Tree Group (b,d)
WCMA (b-d)
mecu (a-c)
schools (b-c)
Zoos SA (c-d)
Action 3. Manage threats to the productivity of patches of
High Priority
current feeding habitat
Manage threats to productivity of patches of current feeding habitat to minimise current
food shortages. Tasks are to be managed adaptively and are likely to include (in no
particular order):
a) Limit the impacts of fire on stringybark food availability on public land
b) Report the percentage of stringybark habitats on public land scorched in the
previous 10 year period to the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Recovery Team annually
c) Manage impacts of fire on stringybark food availability on private land
d) Refine low-scorch burning techniques to allow effective application across the
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range
e) Remove invasive woody weeds from at least 1500 hectares of stringybark habitat
per year
f) Report the area of stringybark habitat receiving management of woody weeds to
the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team annually
g) Manage other threats to productivity as they emerge
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 3 is
implemented and objective 2 is achieved.
Annual reporting to the Recovery Team will be included in annual reviews of progress
against the recovery plan, including performance criteria 5 and 6.
Implementation notes
Fire management on public land balances managing the risk of catastrophic bushfire
impacting a large area of habitat, community risk management expectations, the need to
maintain food availability by ensuring no more than 15% of stringybark feeding habitat
on public land is crown scorched in any 10 year period, and other environmental
requirements. Accurate accounting of crown scorch, and low scorch burning methods
may assist fire authorities to find this balance. This task reflects currently agreed targets
set to ensure that fire does not reduce food availability on the public land estate beyond
a benchmark measure set in in the late 1990s. Additional existing management
practices to limit the impacts of fire on public land include annual seed crop
assessments of proposed burning units and deferral of burns for at least 12 months that
would impact on high-density, young seed crops.
A pilot study has developed techniques for low-scorch burning in stringybark woodlands
of the Wimmera region in Victoria. Further work is required to refine the methods for
application across woodland/forest types, and to measure the fuel hazard reduction
impacts of these burning methods.
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo-specific fire management on private land can
be developed through partnership projects between public land fire management
authorities (DSE/DEWNR, FSA, Parks Victoria), private land fire management
authorities (CFA/CFS) and local communities. Partnership projects will likely require
education on habitat values and the impacts of fire, understanding the needs of private
landholders, and training and support to undertake new burning practices.
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
CFA (c)
BirdLife Australia (e)
CFS (c)
Conservation Volunteers Australia (e)
DSE (a-g)
Greening Australia (e)
DEWNR (a-g)
Forest Stewardship Council certified organisations
Parks Victoria (a, e)
(e)
FSA (a)
Action 4. Manage threats to the productivity of scattered feed Moderate Priority
trees
Manage threats to the productivity of scattered paddock feed trees in agricultural
landscapes. Tasks are to be managed adaptively and are likely to include (in no
particular order):
a) Protect 40 Buloke scattered paddock trees from threats per year, in addition to
those protected as offsets for native vegetation removal
b) Protect 40 Desert Stringybark scattered paddock trees from threats per year, in
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addition to those protected as offsets for native vegetation removal
c) Report the number of scattered paddock trees protected per year to the Southeastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team annually
d) Limit the impacts of stubble burning practices on feed trees
e) Develop and distribute educational materials regarding best practice
management of scattered paddock trees
f) Manage other threats to productivity as required
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 3 is
implemented and objective 2 is achieved.
Implementation notes
The most effective protection for scattered paddock trees is to fence individual trees,
outside the drip line of the canopy, to exclude all threats. Conservation incentive
programs for landholders will require the flexibility to allow the protection of single trees.
In many cases existing programs place limits on the minimum size of the area protected,
which excludes the practice of fencing individual scattered paddock trees.
Authorities responsible for permitting stubble burns currently have the opportunity to
educate land managers about appropriate practices, and, in some cases, to penalise
landholders who do not comply (CFS). Improvements to practices are most required in
Victoria, where penalties for inappropriate practices are currently absent or difficult to
apply. This will require further efforts in education, and the development of improved
regulations to allow compliance activities to be undertaken where land managers
deliberately engage in inappropriate practices.
Annual reporting to the Recovery Team will be included in annual reviews of progress
against the recovery plan, including performance criterion 7.
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
BirdLife Australia (e)
BirdLife Australia (a-d,f)
CFS (d)
CFA (d)
DPI (d-f)
CVA (a-c)
DEWNR (a-f)
Private landholders (a-d, f)
DSE (a-f)
VFF (d-f)
GHCMA (a-c)
Zoos SA (a-c)
PIRSA (d-f)
Local governments (d)
WCMA (a-c)
Action 5. Assess and manage direct threats to recruitment
Moderate Priority
Assess and manage direct threats to recruitment of juvenile birds into the population.
Tasks are to be managed adaptively and are likely to include (in no particular order):
a) Collar new nest trees, and maintain existing nest tree collars, where appropriate
b) Assess the impacts of poaching activities, and manage if the risk rating is
upgraded to high or very high
c) Locate new nests, assess and manage threats where required
d) Assess and manage other direct threats to recruitment as they emerge
e) Report actions taken to address all listed direct threats to the South-eastern Redtailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team annually
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 4 is
implemented to achieve objective 2.
Implementation notes
Nest tree collars are used where the risk of nest predation is considered to be at least
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moderate, and where the collar is unlikely to increase the risk of poaching. This is
usually the case for nests in scattered paddock trees, where predation risk is higher, and
the likelihood of poaching activity is lower due to the exposed nature of the site.
Location of new nests is labour intensive. A Nest Incentive Scheme Trial (funded by
Nature Foundation SA), where landholders and members of the public are paid for
accurate reports of new nests, is proving to be an efficient method of identifying new
nests.
Annual reporting to the Recovery Team will be included in annual reviews of progress
against the recovery plan, including performance criteria 8 and 9.
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
BirdLife Australia (a, c, e)
BirdLife Australia (b, d)
DSE (a-e)
Conservation Volunteers Australia (a, e)
DEWNR (a-e)
Nature Foundation SA (c)
Action 6. Communicate effectively with partners,
High Priority
stakeholders and the community
Communicate effectively with partners, stakeholders and the community. Tasks are to
be managed adaptively and are likely to include (in no particular order):
a) Undertake investigations to identify the communication needs of the interested
community, including land managers within the range
b) Develop and share information with the interested community about Southeastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos, their habitat and conservation requirements,
the recovery program and partnership projects
c) Share information among responsible and partner organisations through field
visits and face-to-face meetings
d) Prepare annual reports detailing achievements, difficulties, and future priorities,
and distribute to key responsible and partner organisations
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 5 is
implemented to achieve objective 3.
Implementation notes
Current communication tools that are likely to continue to be useful include the Red Tail
website, Red Tail News, media releases, factsheets and attendance at events such as
field days. Field day events appear to gain more interest from the community when the
project occupies a display space independent of other government and non-Southeastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo related projects.
Continued sharing of information among responsible and partner organisations is
essential to ensure cost-effective and consistent implementation of priority work across
the range.
Annual reports are suggested as a new tool to communicate effectively with key
partners and stakeholders. Reports will assess progress against the performance
criteria for this recovery plan and any new priorities outlined in annual implementation
plans (see Action 8).
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
BirdLife Australia (a-d)
Conservation Volunteers Australia (b-d)
DEWNR (c)
DEWNR (d)
DSE (c)
DSE (d)
Greening Australia (b-d)
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Kowree Farm Tree Group (b-d)
SeRtBC RT (b-d)
TfN (b-d)
Zoos SA (b-d)
Action 7. Support community participation in recovery
High Priority
actions
Support community participation in relevant recovery actions. Tasks are to be managed
adaptively and are likely to include (in no particular order):
a) Provide education and training opportunities to volunteers
b) Manage the safety and wellbeing of volunteers
c) Provide engaging opportunities for volunteers to contribute to the implementation
of priority recovery actions
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 5 is
implemented to achieve objective 3.
Implementation notes
Opportunities for community participation include the annual count, nest searches,
habitat and threat management on a mixture of land tenures, and landholder
involvement in management on private land.
Landholder involvement is often best supported where it is facilitated by other
landholders from the district, with flexible delivery models that can accommodate the
needs of individual landholders (e.g. Zoos SA Cockies helping Cockies helping Cockies
project and the Kowree Farm Tree Group).
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
BirdLife Australia (a-c)
CFA (a-c)
Conservation Volunteers Australia CFS (a-c)
(a-c)
DEWNR (a-c)
Kowree Farm Tree Group (a-c)
DSE (a-c)
Zoos SA (a-c)
GHCMA (a-c)
WCMA (a-c)
Action 8. Coordinate implementation
High Priority
Coordinate implementation of the recovery plan. Tasks are to be managed adaptively
and are likely to include (in no particular order):
a) Foster and maintain partnerships for effective delivery
b) Obtain sufficient resources to ensure high and very high priority actions are
implemented
c) Manage the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team in
accordance with an agreed Terms of Reference
d) Prepare annual implementation plans to detail the current year’s priority actions
e) Maintain databases and records to ensure critical information is secure
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 6 is
implemented to achieve objective 4.
Implementation notes:
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team is the main collaborative
forum for coordination of implementation. This group operates to a Terms of Reference,
which is amended as required every two years, and brings together relevant experts and
organisations to review priorities and ensure implementation of the highest priority
actions. Recovery Team meetings and business must be guided by this recovery plan,
and meetings should aim to review progress against the plan, collect and share new
information, and identify any required changes to the priorities listed in the plan.
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Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
BirdLife Australia (a-e)
SeRtBC RT (a-e)
DEWNR (a-e)
DSE (a-e)
DSEWPaC (a-e)
Action 9. Monitor the population and habitat
High Priority
Monitor the population and habitat to inform improved implementation. Tasks are to be
managed adaptively and are likely to include (in no particular order):
a) Undertake annual counts to determine location of flocks, minimum number of
birds known to be alive, population density, and long-term population trends
b) Undertake flock counts each year to determine changes in the proportion of
males in flocks, and relate to environmental variables
c) Undertake annual monitoring of seed production in the three food species to
determine patterns in phenology and productivity over time
d) Undertake annual monitoring of the amount of habitat clearance and offsets
recorded in each jurisdiction
e) Undertake aerial photograph analysis at least once during the period 2012-2017
to determine changes in habitat extent since 2004
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 7 is
implemented to achieve objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Implementation notes
The results of annual monitoring tasks will be reported to the South-eastern Red-tailed
Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team annually, with interpretation showing how the data
reflect changes over time, and how these interpretations may impact on decisionmaking. Flocks identified in the annual count event will be targeted for flock counts.
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
BirdLife Australia (a-c)
GHCMA (a-d)
DEWNR (a-e)
Volunteers (a)
DSE (a-e)
WCMA (a-d)
Local governments (d)
Action 10. Undertake essential research to underpin
Moderate Priority
management actions
Undertake essential research to underpin management actions and inform decisionmakers. Tasks are to be managed adaptively and are likely to include (in no particular
order):
a) Identify restoration requirements to ensure there is sufficient nesting habitat to
meet the long-term recovery objective
b) Assess the impacts from pathogens and pests of food tree species
c) Trial methods to increase food availability in the short- to medium-term
d) Trial methods to increase use of artificial nest boxes
e) Assess the effectiveness of current offset methods to achieve the long-term
recovery objective
f) Investigate other ecological and management requirements as required
Priority will be given to tasks that are most likely to ensure that strategy 7 is
implemented to achieve objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Implementation notes
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team Science Group provides
a forum for collaborators to identify research priorities that best meet the needs of the
recovery program. Annual reviews of priorities should consider all existing and new
research questions, and prioritise on the basis of the likelihood that the knowledge
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would improve management and compliment achievement of the recovery plan
objectives and long-term recovery objective.
Responsible organisations
Partner organisations
BirdLife Australia (d)
SeRtBC RT Science Group (a-e)
DEWNR (a-f)
Research institutions (a, c, e)
DSE (a-f)
DSEWPaC (e)
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3.4 Implementation
Responsible organisations were identified as those organisations with statutory responsibilities, for example to protect and recover
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and their habitats (e.g. government agencies), or with significant long-term project
coordination commitments to the recovery program (e.g. BirdLife Australia). In many cases, partner organisations may deliver
projects, with funding and support from responsible organisations (e.g. Zoos SA deliver habitat protection and restoration with
funding from the Federal Government).
Responsible and partner organisations will ensure that the risks associated with implementing actions are identified and managed,
and that adaptive management underpins all actions. Adaptive management and prioritisation decisions will be made by responsible
organisations, in consultation with key partners and the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team to ensure any
changes are consistent with the recovery plan objectives. It is the responsibility of organisations implementing actions to report on
implementation annually to the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team for inclusion in annual reports and
assessments against the performance criteria of this recovery plan. Where resources are limiting, responsible organisations will
prioritise those actions likely to provide the most cost-effective benefits to the recovery program. Estimated costs for implementation
are summarised in Table 3, with more detailed information presented in section 5.3
Table 3. Summary of implementation costs for actions in this recovery plan. Action priority rankings were determined following the method
described in section 5.2, and detailed annual cost estimates are provided in section 5.3.
Action
Action 1. Protect habitat from loss
Action 2. Plant or encourage regeneration of key habitats
Action 3. Manage threats to the productivity of patches of current feeding
habitat
Action 4. Manage threats to the productivity of scattered feed trees
Action 5. Assess and manage direct threats to recruitment
Action 6. Communicate effectively with partners, stakeholders and the
community
Action 7. Support community participation in recovery actions
Action 8. Coordinate implementation
Action 9. Monitor the population and habitat
Action 10. Undertake essential research to underpin management actions
28
Priority ranking
Very High
Very High
High
Total estimated cost
$175,000
$2,510,000
$1,085,000
Moderate
Moderate
High
$166,000
$47,500
$112,500
High
High
High
Moderate
$62,500
$100,000
$92,500
TBD
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3.5 Guide for decision makers
Under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) any person proposing to undertake
actions which may have a significant impact on listed threatened species
(including the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo) should refer the
action to the Minister for the Environment. The Minister will determine whether
the action requires EPBC Act assessment and approval. Administrative
guidelines are available to assist in determining whether an action is likely to
have a significant impact. Further advice on the EPBC Act is available on the
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and
Communities website (DSEWPaC 2012).
Actions that result in any of the following may result in a significant impact on
the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo:

Permanent loss of Brown or Desert Stringybark or Buloke trees

Permanent loss of current and potential future nesting habitats

Inappropriate management of feeding habitat, resulting in reduced
productivity over a large area of current habitat of any one habitat type
3.6 Management practices
The following management practices are important for the recovery of the
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Some of these practices address
threatening processes that are beyond the scope of this plan to address (e.g.
setting appropriate government policies). Other practices address
management that is likely to benefit other species (e.g. landscape-scale
woodland restoration).




Ensure that offsets for permitted native vegetation clearance take into
account the requirements of the entities dependent on the cleared
vegetation. For example, where mature Buloke trees are removed from
within the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo range, offsets that
best provide secure replacement habitat would need to:
o permanently protect other at-risk Buloke trees of a similar size
and value to the cockatoos, and
o provide revegetation to replace the protected trees as they
senesce in the future (noting that it takes at least 100 years until
Buloke provides habitat for South-eastern Red-tailed BlackCockatoo).
Implement landscape-scale vegetation restoration projects, aimed at
restoring large areas to woodland (complete revegetation) or open
woodland (paddock tree revegetation).
Improve measures to protect and restore scattered paddock trees to
agricultural landscapes.
Ensure that retention and restoration of Buloke trees focuses on both
male (pollinating) and female (seed producing) trees. While the
appropriate ratio and distribution of male to female trees for Buloke
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
population health and productivity is unknown, efforts to favour one sex
over another should be avoided.
Encourage greater participation in conservation on private land by
providing flexibility to participants, delivered through models that
encourage engagement by land managers. For example, facilitators
who are land managers themselves, and from the local community,
often achieve higher engagement rates than other facilitators. Further,
given that many species benefit from the protection and planting of
paddock trees, flexible approaches that allow small-scale conservation
measures to be supported do provide meaningful gains in habitat
protection and creation.
3.7 Affected interests
This recovery plan will rely on the support and participation of many
stakeholders and partners to succeed. This list of key partners and affected
interests is by no means exhaustive, but aims to provide a strong starting
point for consultation and engagement by those parties wishing to implement
the recovery plan. Those organisations marked with an asterisk* are
represented in the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team.
Government Agencies

Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities

Country Fire Service (South Australia) and Country Fire Authority
(Victoria)

Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources (South
Australia)*

Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria)*

Forestry SA*

Local Governments*

Native Vegetation Council SA

Parks Victoria*

The Glenelg-Hopkins* and Wimmera* Catchment Management
Authorities (Victoria)
Non-Government Organisations

BirdLife Australia* and associated state bird groups

Conservation Volunteers Australia

Greening Australia*

Nature Foundation, South Australia

State Farmers Federations (VFF and SAFF)
Other Delivery Partners

Trust for Nature*

Zoos South Australia*
Affected Interests and Potential Partners

Indigenous groups
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

Interested members of the public*, including school communities
Private land managers*
3.8 Indigenous roles and interests
The following organisations have been consulted during the development of
this plan to seek feedback from Indigenous people. These organisations and
the communities they represent are likely to have an interest in the
implementation of the plan.

South east Aboriginal Focus Group (South Australia)

Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (Victoria)

Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (Victoria)
All responsible organisations and partners will insure that implementation of
relevant actions is undertaken with the approval and cooperation of the
organisations listed above and/or any other Indigenous groups identified
during implementation. All activities will respect the cultural knowledge and
traditions of Indigenous people throughout the species range.
Opportunities for Indigenous people during the implementation of this plan
include:

Assist revegetation projects by growing seedlings

Involvement in South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo monitoring
activities

Development and implementation of specific habitat management and
restoration projects on land managed by, or with an interest to,
Indigenous groups

Opportunities to increase land management capacity through sharing
of cultural and scientific knowledge.
3.9 Social and economic benefits/impacts
Social benefits
The recovery project offers social benefits to local communities through an
enhanced natural environment and by providing a range of recreational and
volunteer activities including the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Annual Count. The program also provides opportunities for land managers
interested in undertaking private conservation works to access information,
training, and resources.
Social impacts
The major potential impacts on landholders relate to habitat retention, and
many of these impacts already exist due to legislation for native vegetation
retention in Victoria and South Australia. Actions and management
recommendations in this plan aim to ensure regulations and policies achieve
real protection and offset outcomes for South-eastern Red-tailed BlackCockatoo by providing specific advice on how best to achieve these
outcomes.
Economic benefits
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Retaining native vegetation on farms has been shown to have economic
benefits to production through pest control, crop pollination and stock shelter.
This is particularly the case with scattered paddock trees. Protecting this
habitat is an important component of the recovery plan and can benefit
landholders.
Public and private land managers may have increased access to funding to
undertake improved land management including habitat protection, restoration
and threat management.
Economic impacts
Some recommended measures to protect and restore habitat will compete
with alternative land uses, which may have economic impacts on some
individuals.
Preventing clearance of some habitat trees, and removing inappropriate
agricultural practices from beneath habitat trees will reduce the area of
farmland available for high-intensity agricultural practices (e.g. centre pivot
irrigated cropping, cropping dependent on GPS guided machinery, high
impact grazing practices). However, the benefits provided to farm productivity
of scattered paddock trees will partially offset this loss.
Limiting clearance of habitat trees for firewood harvesting may have an
economic impact in some areas. However, the majority of permitted timber
removals are already managed to avoid removal of very large old trees.
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3.10 Biodiversity benefits/impacts
Biodiversity benefits
This recovery plan will benefit a wide range of woodland habitats and species,
through the retention of key habitats, and landscape-scale restoration and
management of stringybark and Buloke forests, woodlands and open
woodlands.
The Buloke Woodlands of the Riverina and Murray-Darling Depression
Bioregions are listed as a nationally endangered community under the EPBC
Act 1999. The listing includes Buloke woodlands that provide habitat for
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Many recovery actions for this
community and the cockatoo are complimentary (e.g. protecting and restoring
Buloke woodlands). In addition, many nationally listed woodland species also
occur throughout the cockatoo’s habitat including:

Hairy-pod Wattle (Acacia glandulicarpa)

Several Spider Orchids (including Caladenia colorata, C. formosa, C.
hastata, C. lowanensis, C. ornata, C. tensa)

Trailing Hop-bush (Dodonea procumbens)

Clover Glycine (Glycine latrobeana)

Dergholm Guinea Flower (Hibbertia humifusa subsp. debilis)

Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesculus obesculus)

Dense Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum spicatum)

Heath Rat (Pseudomys shortridgei)

Floodplain Rustyhood (Pterostylis cheraphila)

Coast Dandelion (Taraxicum cygnorum)

Metallic Sun-orchid (Thelymitra epipactoides)
The cockatoo’s habitat also provides important habitat for a range of species
significant at the state or regional level. Significant opportunities exist for
partnership projects to achieve efficiencies through actions that benefit
multiple listed entities.
The South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is a flagship species for the
stringybark and Buloke forests and woodlands of far south west Victoria and
south east South Australia. Community awareness of, and engagement in, the
recovery program is high. The connection the cockatoo creates between the
community and woodlands that might otherwise be thought of as ‘scrub’ can
benefit the conservation of all species in similar habitats.
Biodiversity impacts
There are few anticipated negative biodiversity impacts of implementation of
this recovery plan.
It is possible that changed fire management practices resulting from
implementation of this recovery plan may impact negatively on the fire ecology
of other species. This plan includes very specific guidelines to limit the amount
of crown scorch in stringybark habitats to maintain food availability. In
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practice, this often leads to low scorch burning practices, applied at times of
year when woodlands would rarely experience a natural fire event. The impact
of this management practice on other species is unknown, and further
investigation is warranted.
This plan lists other native species (pathogens and pests of food trees) as a
potential threat, following a recent (2011) mass breeding event of a cup moth
species defoliating large areas of stringybark woodlands. If the assessment of
this threat would lead to management recommendations, then the implications
of management for other biodiversity values would need to be considered.
3.11 International obligations
This plan is consistent with Australia’s international obligations regarding the
conservation of biodiversity
(http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/international/index.html). Specific
international obligations for the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
include:

The sub-species is listed under CITES Appendix II, restricting
international trade

Climate change is a threatening process.
4 References
Burnard, T. & R. Hill. 2002. Draft South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan.
Birds Australia report to Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra.
Burnard, T. & R. Pritchard 2012. draft. South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery
Plan Review. Unpublished report to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities.
Commonwealth of Australia. 2006. Background and Implementation Information for the
South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne Recovery
Plan. Department of Environment and Water Resources, Canberra.
Department of the Environment and Water Resources (D.E.W.R). 2007. National Recovery
Plan for the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne.
Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Canberra.
Garnett, S. & G. Crowley. 1996. Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan. Calyptorhynchus
banksii graptogyne. Unpublished report to Environment Australia, Canberra and Birds
Australia, Melbourne.
Garnett, S.T., Szabo, J.K. & G. Dutson. 2011.0Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010. CSIRO,
Melbourne.
Gibbons, P., and Lindenmayer, D. (2002). ‘Tree Hollows and Wildlife Conservation In
Australia.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)
Higgins, P. (ed). 1999. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4.
Oxford University press, Melbourne.
Hill, R. In prep. The Conservation Biology of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo.
Unpublished report to the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team.
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DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
Hill, R. & T. Burnard. 2001. A Draft Habitat Management Plan for the South-eastern Redtailed Black-Cockatoo. Unpublished report to the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team.
Jarmyn, B. 2000. Nest predation of cockatoos in south-west Victoria: with special reference to
the endangered sub-species of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus banksii
graptogyne. BSc (Hons) Thesis, University of Adelaide, Adelaide.
Koch, P. 2003. Factors influecing food availability for the endangered south-eastern Redtailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchos banksii graptogyne in remnant stringybark woodland,
and implications for management. PhD thesis, University of Adelaide, Adelaide.
Maron , M. 2000. Characteristics of feeding sites of the endangered south-eastern red-tailed
black-cockatoo Calyptorhynchos banksii graptogyne in remnant buloke Allocasuarina
luehmanii woodland. B.Sc (Hons) Thesis, Monash University, Melbourne.
Maron, M. 2004. An assessment of the rate of decline and recruitment of Buloke trees in the
southern Wimmera: implications for the conservation of the endangered South-eastern Redtailed Black-Cockatoo. Ecologically Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Report No. 2.
Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne.
Maron, M. & A. Lill. 2004. Discrimination among potential buloke (Allocasuarina luehmannii)
feeding trees by the endangered south-eastern red-tailed black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus
banksii graptogyne). Wildlife Research 31: 311-317.
Maron, M., Koch, P., Freeman, J., Schultz, S., Dunn, P., & A. Apan. 2008. Modelling and
planning to increase future habitat of the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Unpublished report
Wimmera Catchment Management Authority.
Maron, M., Dunn, P. K., McAlpine, C. A., and A. Apan. 2010. Can offsets really compensate
for habitat removal? The case of the endangered red-tailed black-cockatoo. Journal of
Applied Ecology 47: 348-355.
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DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
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5 Appendices
5.1 Threat risk analysis
The risk posed by each threat was assessed using a standard risk matrix
analysis (Table 4). This recovery plan only considers threats that are expected
to at least have an effect on individuals, if not the population as a whole.
Table 4. Risk assessment method applied to the threats to the South-eastern Red-tailed
Black-Cockatoo. See definitions of risk, likelihood and consequence below.
Likelihood
Consequence
Minor
Moderate
Major
Catastrophic
Almost
Moderate
Very High
Very High
Very High
certain
Likely
Moderate
High
Very High
Very High
Unlikely
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
The overall threat risk rating is a combination of the likelihood and
consequence of threat.
Likelihood is defined as:
Almost certain – expected to occur every year
Likely – expected to occur at least once in five years
Unlikely – known to have occurred worldwide, but only a few times
Consequence is defined as:
Minor – individuals are affected but no affect at a population level
Moderate – population recovery stalls
Major – population declines
Catastrophic – population extinction
Table 5. Risk analysis for threats to the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo.
Colour coding and associated risks explained in Table 4.
Likelihood Consequence
Minor
Moderate
Major
Catastrophic
Nest predation
Lack of feeding
Permitted and illegal
Almost
habitat
clearance of habitat
certain
Inappropriate
agricultural practices
Limited recruitment
of feeding and
nesting habitat
Likely
Unlikely
Poaching
Senescence
Invasive woody
weeds
Climate change
Inappropriate fire
regimes
Pathogens and
pests of food trees
Browsing of habitat
by introduced
species
36
Catastrophic fire
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5.2 Action prioritisation
The priority for each action was determined by the combination of:

The predicted consequence of implementation on achievement of the
recovery plan objectives, and

The likelihood that the consequence will occur (Table 6).
Note that action priorities may change during implementation of this plan as
new information becomes available.
Table 6. Prioritisation assessment method applied to the actions in this recovery plan.
See definitions of priority, likelihood and consequence below.
Likelihood
Consequence
Minor
Moderate
Major
Almost certain
High
High
Very High
Likely
Moderate
Moderate
High
Unlikely
Low
Low
Moderate
Priority is defined as:
Very High – action is required
High – adaptive management is required, applying the precautionary principle
where resources permit
Moderate – assess priority during recovery plan implementation and
undertake action if required
Low – no immediate action required, reconsider if likelihood or consequence
changes
Likelihood is defined as:
Almost certain – very feasible and almost certain to have predicted impact
Likely – moderately feasible and/or predicted impact expected to occur at
least once in three attempts
Unlikely – low feasibility and/or impact is known to have occurred worldwide,
but only a few times
Consequence is defined as:
Minor – supports achievement of the primary objective(s)
Moderate – brings primary objective(s) within reach
Major – essential to achieve the primary objective(s) and long-term objective
Note that this recovery plan does not include any actions that were considered
at the time of writing to have no predicted impact on achievement of the
primary objective(s).
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Table 7. Prioritisation of the actions in this recovery plan, following the method
outlined in Table 6.
Likelihood
Consequence
Minor
Moderate
Major
A7. Support community
A3. Manage threats to the
A1. Protect habitat from loss
Almost certain
Likely
participation in recovery
actions
productivity of patches of
current feeding habitat
A9. Monitor the population
and habitat
A6. Communicate
effectively with partners,
stakeholders and the
community
A5. Assess and manage
direct threats to
recruitment
A8. Coordinate
implementation
A4. Manage threats to the
productivity of scattered
feed trees
A10. Undertake essential
research to underpin
management actions
Unlikely
38
A2. Plant or encourage
regeneration of key habitats
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5.3 Implementation costs
Costs listed as To Be Determined (TBD) are opportunistic activities that are difficult to estimate at the start of the planning cycle.
Action
Action 1. Protect habitat from loss
a) Minimise permitted clearance habitats
b) Monitor illegal habitat clearance, and
undertake compliance
c) Appropriately offset clearances
d) Report annually on avoided,
minimised, permitted and illegal
clearances, and offsets
e) Permanently protect habitats through
covenants and land purchase
Action 2. Plant or encourage regeneration
of key habitats
a) Secure sufficient land to meet
planting/regeneration targets
b) 10000 new stringybark plants per year
c) 18000 new Buloke plants per year
d) Report annually on the number of new
plants established per year
Action 3. Manage threats to the productivity
of patches of current feeding habitat
a) Limit the impacts of fire on stringybark
on public land
b) Report annually the percentage of
stringybark on public land scorched in
the last 10 years
c) Manage impacts of fire on stringybark
on private land
Estimated cost
Y1
Y2
Y3
Y4
Y5
All years
$30,000
$5,000
$30,000
$30,000
$5,000
$30,000
$30,000
$5,000
$150,000
$15,000
TBD
$2,000
TBD
$2,000
TBD
$2,000
TBD
$2,000
TBD
$2,000
TBD
$10,000
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Responsible
organisations
DEWNR (a-e)
DSE (a-e)
DSEWPaC (a-c)
$300,000
$300,000
$300,000
$300,000
$300,000
$1,500,000
$80,000
$120,000
$2,000
$80,000
$120,000
$2,000
$80,000
$120,000
$2,000
$80,000
$120,000
$2,000
$80,000
$120,000
$2,000
$400,000
$600,000
$10,000
Local
Governments (ae)
TfN (e)
DSE (a-d)
DEWNR (a-d)
GHCMA (b-d)
Trust for Nature
(a,d)
WCMA (b-d)
CFA (c)
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
$100,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$10,000
$60,000
$60,000
$60,000
CFS (c)
DSE (a-g)
39
$180,000
DEWNR (a-g)
Parks Victoria (a,
e)
DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
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d) Refine low-scorch burning techniques
for broader application
e) Remove woody weeds from 1500
hectares of stringybark habitat
f) Report annually the area treated for
woody weeds
g) Manage other threats as they emerge
Action 4. Manage threats to the productivity
of scattered feed trees
a) Protect 40 Buloke scattered paddock
trees
b) Protect 40 Desert Stringybark
scattered paddock trees
c) Report annually the number of
scattered paddock trees protected
d) Limit the impacts of stubble burning
e) Develop and distribute educational
materials regarding best practice
management
f) Manage other threats to productivity as
required
Action 5. Assess and manage direct
threats to recruitment
a) Collar new nest trees, and maintain
existing collars
b) Assess the impacts of poaching
activities, and manage if required
c) Locate new nests, assess and manage
threats
d) Assess and manage other direct
threats
e) Report annually on actions taken to
assess and address all listed direct
threats
$20,000
$20,000
$40,000
$155,000
$155,000
$155,000
$155,000
$155,000
$755,000
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
FSA (a)
BirdLife Australia
(e)
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$55,000
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$11,000
$55,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$10,000
$5,000
$10,000
$5,000
$10,000
$2,000
$10,000
$2,000
$2,000
$30,000
$16,000
CFS (d)
DPI (d-f)
DEWNR (a-f)
DSE (a-f)
GHCMA (a-c)
PIRSA (d-f)
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Local
governments (d)
WCMA (a-c)
BirdLife Australia
(a, c, e)
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$25,000
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$12,500
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$10,000
40
DSE (a-e)
DEWNR (a-e)
DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
Action 6. Communicate effectively with
partners, stakeholders and the community
a) Undertake investigations to identify
communication needs
b) Develop and share information with the
interested community
c) Share information among responsible
and partner organisations
d) Prepare and distribute annual reports
Action 7. Support community participation
in recovery actions
a) Provide education and training
opportunities
b) Manage the safety and wellbeing of
volunteers
c) Provide engaging opportunities for
volunteers
Action 8. Coordinate implementation
a) Foster and maintain partnerships
b) Obtain sufficient resources
c) Manage the South-eastern Red-tailed
Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team
d) Prepare annual implementation plans
e) Maintain databases and records
Action 9. Monitor the population and
habitat
a) Undertake annual counts
b) Undertake flock counts
c) Undertake annual monitoring of seed
production
d) Undertake annual monitoring of the
amount of habitat clearance and
offsets
e) Undertake aerial photograph analysis
at least once to determine changes in
$10,000
$10,000
$10,000
$10,000
$10,000
$10,000
$10,000
$50,000
$8,000
$8,000
$8,000
$8,000
$8,000
$40,000
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$12,500
$7,500
$7,500
$7,500
$7,500
$7,500
$37,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$12,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$12,500
$2,500
$5,000
$7,500
$2,500
$5,000
$7,500
$2,500
$5,000
$7,500
$2,500
$5,000
$7,500
$2,500
$5,000
$7,500
$12,500
$25,000
$37,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$2,500
$12,500
$12,500
$7,000
$4,000
$2,500
$7,000
$4,000
$2,500
$7,000
$4,000
$2,500
$7,000
$4,000
$2,500
$7,000
$4,000
$2,500
$35,000
$20,000
$12,500
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$25,000
TBD
41
TBD
BirdLife Australia
(a-d)
DEWNR (c)
DSE (c)
BirdLife Australia
(a-c)
Conservation
Volunteers
Australia (a-c)
Kowree Farm
Tree Group (a-c)
Zoos SA (a-c)
BirdLife Australia
(a-e)
DEWNR (a-e)
DSE (a-e)
DSEWPaC (a-e)
BirdLife Australia
(a-c)
DEWNR (a-e)
DSE (a-e)
Local
governments (d)
DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
habitat extent since 2004
Action 10. Undertake essential research to
underpin management actions
a) Identify restoration requirements for
nesting habitat
b) Assess the impacts from pathogens
and pests of food tree species
c) Trial methods to increase food
availability
d) Trial methods to increase use of
artificial nest boxes
e) Assess the effectiveness of current
offset methods
f) Investigate other ecological and
management requirements
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
42
BirdLife Australia
(d)
DEWNR (a-f)
DSE (a-f)
DSEWPaC (e)
DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
5.4 Priority areas for regeneration and revegetation of habitats
Spatial data for the following maps are available from the South-eastern Redtailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team. High resolution maps will be made
available at www.redtail.com.au
Figure 2. Recommended areas for Buloke habitat restoration, with priority given to
higher rainfall parts of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Buloke range. Map
reproduced with permission from Maron et al. (2008).
43
DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
Figure 3. Recommended areas for stringybark habitat restoration, with priority given to
areas close to existing stringybark. Map reproduced with permission from Maron et al.
(2008).
44
DRAFT FOR COMMENT South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Recovery Plan
July 2012
Figure 4. Recommended areas for gum habitat restoration, with priority given
to areas closer to existing stringybark habitats. Map reproduced with
permission from Maron et al. (2008).
45