The Glossy Black-Cockatoo is listed as a threatened species in Queensland. Although the eastern subspecies Calyptorhynchus lathami lathami is distributed throughout south-east Queensland, the status of this population is difficult to determine because the birds are cryptic in their behaviour and use of natural habitats. Consequently, despite a number of agencies maintaining databases of records for many years, there is still little knowledge of the estimated population size and distribution of the species in the region. To address this shortcoming, the Glossy Black Conservancy initiated the Glossy Black-Cockatoo Birding Day event in 2009. Summaries of previous regional Birding Days are shown here (latest first).
The First Five Years
Glossy Black-Cockatoo Birding Days have been running throughout south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales since 2010. In these first six years there has been tremendous support from the community is furthering our knowledge and understanding of the species’ biology in the region. The Birding Days have provided the basis for further long-term monitoring that can provide some indication of demographic patterns and trends over the years based on a known survey effort. On average, about 200 observers have participated each year, surveying approximately 180 separate 1km² grid cells annually. The numbers of Glossy Black-Cockatoo observed over the years has fluctuated somewhat, with the lowest numbers recorded in 2015 (n=60) and the highest in 2013 (n=132). The population is slightly male-biased with male:female sex ratio of 1.22 : 1. On average about 8.6% of the birds observed have been identified as juveniles. Numbers have also been quite variable throughout the region but there are relatively consistent observations from the Scenic Rim, Sunshine Coast / Noosa, Gold Coast and Tweed regions.
