Story told by Harry Hackett.
Gehrr Squad members pictured above: Keisha, Peeches, Mary, Maitland, Tara and Timmahna – with Billen Cliffs landholder Anastasia Guise (front) and Harry (back).
Gehrr is the Bandjalang word for Glossy Black-Cockatoo. The women Rangers of Minyumai IPA on Bandjalang Country Northern Rivers NSW have formed Gehrr Squad and they are powering. Gehrr Squad, together with Wildbnb, have been out across six local government areas in the Northern Rivers (22,000 square kilometres) monitoring for evidence of glossies and documenting all aspects of Glossy habitat in the finest detail.
I was invited by the women to join them on some of their recent field work, so jumped at the chance. Monthly monitoring of the artificial nest hollows installed under the Glossies Northern Rivers 2022-2024 collaborative project through Wildbnb Wildlife Habitat’s partnership with WWF Australia & NSW Saving our Species has been a key focus this breeding season.
As has been documenting the availability of Glossies’ preferred food resources, with more feeding locations identified and mapped thanks to intel coming from Northern Rivers Glossy Squad’s network of citizen scientists.
Maitland, Dave, Timmahna & Peeches checking the Bar LT recorder
Back in 2024 a glossy nestling was found by National Parks & Wildlife Service Rangers conducting koala surveys.
She was found on the ground, on her own with no ability to fly, it was suspected she had fallen out of her nest before she was ready to fledge. She was in very poor condition, dehydrated and starving. The quick-thinking Rangers got her to Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital where an amazing veterinary team pulled out all stops to nurse this bird back to health and a bunch of locals sourced and provided allocasuarina food supplies. Planning was underway to transfer the bird to Taronga Zoo’s captive glossy breeding program so she could be with other glossies. Just before that transfer was to take place, sadly the little Glossy named Peanut took a turn for the worst – she didn’t make it.
With intel from NPWS staff, the hunt has been on during 2026’s breeding season to locate Peanut’s nest where several big old hollow-bearing trees have been identified as likely candidates. Dr Brian Hawkins who heads up Biliirrgan Squad working on Gumbaynggirr Country with the NSW Saving Our Species team came up to assist Gehrr Squad in their efforts earlier this year. A Bar LT bioaccoustic monitor was deployed to keep ears on any action. Just this week Gehrr Squad returned to the site to swap over SD cards on the monitor and check batteries. A survey was conducted of the natural tree hollows, with no sign of nesting activity but we’ll have to wait to see what the monitor has picked up over the last months.
RIP Peanut
In May a visit to a known nesting site by Gehrr Squad revealed some fabulous news – the female Glossy who successfully bred in 2022, then 2024 is on the nest again! The Gehrr Squad have been closely monitoring images from an installed nest camera. It’s been a super wet few months – this Glossy mum appears to be doing an amazing job again, protecting the nestling from threats posed by a bold short-eared brushtail possum, on multiple occasions caught on camera. Mum’s predator defence displays at the top of the hollow are keeping her nestling safe for now, but it’s an anxious time.
Further contributing to everyone’s anxiety is the documented lack of she-oak cone production this season in Northern Rivers NSW. Bilung is the Bandjalang word for she-oak, and what Gehrr Squad have been observing is the lack of available mature cones this year. There are currently male allocasuarinas heavy with pollen and female trees flowering, but last season’s cone crop does not appear to have matured sufficiently. What’s going on? Is this a climate-related impact? Fewer birds are being observed at known feeding sites this year and a lot less orts. Much more research is needed and Gehrr Squad are collecting as much data as they can across the landscape to this end.
Gehrr Squad’s efforts continue to be supported by WWF Australia & Wildbnb and the Women Rangers have felt empowered by this opportunity to do everything in their power to protect Gehrr on Country. Culture working hand in hand with science. It is an incredible privilege to be witness to these women out in the field and back at Minyumai HQ hard at work. Their care for, and connection to these birds is so strong. Female Bandjalang Elders at Minyumai have been working closely with the Rangers to bring language back to Country in everything they do. Aunty Simone even created a stunning artwork of a Gehrr trio that is now the Squad’s official t-shirts.
Go Gehrr Squad – you are amazing. We can’t wait to see more as you power ahead.
A very wet Glossy mum at top of her nest hollow June 2026 caught on nestcam.
Gehrr trio t-shirt artwork by Aunty Simone.
