At the entrance to Wyperfeld national park, in north-west Victoria, more than a dozen pink cockatoos are sprinkled across a hedge row of pine trees like Christmas decorations. These are Aleppo pines, not the native conifers that the birds rely on for nesting habitat and as a primary source of food. Still, the feathered ornaments appear […]
Tag: cockatoos
Indonesia’s native hornbills are being hammered by online and offline trade
Among the many inhabitants of Southeast Asia’s dense rainforests are hornbills — a group of birds that stand out with their raucous call, large, ostentatious beak and colorful feathers. Indonesia harbors 13 species, the most of any country in Asia, three of which are found nowhere else. Hornbills are rapidly losing their homes as large swaths of […]
US miner under further investigation after destroying WA habitat of black cockatoos, quokkas and numbats
US mining company Alcoa’s strip-mining of Western Australia’s jarrah forest is under further investigation after its “deliberate repeat breach” of environmental laws that destroyed habitat for protected species – including black cockatoos, quokkas and numbats – and cost it $40m to avoid prosecution. The ongoing inquiry into Alcoa’s clearing at its Willowdale mine was revealed […]
Facebook shuts Indonesia groups after Mongabay and Bellingcat report illegal wildlife trade
This story was produced in collaboration with Bellingcat. JAKARTA — A new report by Mongabay and independent journalism organization Bellingcat has uncovered several Facebook groups selling protected species in Indonesia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. In a Facebook group whose Indonesian name translates to “West Bogor Animal Selling and Trading Forum,” […]
These Cockatoos Learned to Operate Drinking Fountains with Their Feet to Quench Their Thirst
When scientist Barbara Klump saw some cockatoos operate a water fountain in Australia, a million questions flashed through her mind. That’s understandable. How did they learn; why did they learn? Can all cockatoos do that and can they teach it? Why not just drink from the stream? When it comes to displays of animal intelligence, […]
Glossy black cockatoos could be pushed towards extinction in Victoria if burns go ahead, experts warn
Glossy black cockatoos could be pushed towards extinction in Victoria if planned burns of 13,000 hectares of forest go ahead, ecologists and conservationists warn. The Victorian government is being urged to abandon the burn, which is intended to reduce bushfire risk. Glossy black cockatoos are listed as vulnerable in Victoria, where they are found only […]