Study Reveals Feral Cats Threaten Carnaby’s Cockatoo Survival
(MENAFN) Researchers in Australia have pinpointed feral cats as a major danger to the endangered Carnaby's cockatoo, a striking large black parrot indigenous to southwestern Australia.
A comprehensive, multi-decade investigation released Monday by the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity highlights that feral cats prey on adult female cockatoos, their chicks, and eggs, especially targeting those nesting within tree hollows.
Spanning 38 years in the northern wheatbelt region of Western Australia, the research recorded feral cat attacks during at least three breeding seasons.
During these critical periods, cat predation affected as many as 24 percent of nesting attempts, leading to the deaths of mature females and their offspring. The peak in cat attacks aligned with drought phases, which likely diminished alternative prey availability, according to the report.
Carnaby's cockatoos, which mature sexually around three to four years old and rely on mature eucalyptus tree hollows for nesting, already face severe challenges due to habitat destruction.
The newly identified threat from feral cats threatens to further decrease the survival chances of breeding females and fledglings, potentially jeopardizing ongoing conservation efforts, the study, published in Pacific Conservation Biology, warns.
To combat this, the authors advise localized control initiatives like shooting and cage trapping to lessen feral cat impacts.
Although feral cats in Australia are usually known to hunt smaller, ground-based bird species, the rising danger to larger, hollow-nesting birds such as Carnaby's cockatoo is deeply concerning, emphasizing the immediate necessity for protective action, the study concludes.
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