supply, and take many years to replace naturally. Rosemary illustrated various techniques, including wooden, metal, or plastic nest boxes mounted on smaller trees or artificial poles, or the deliberate creation of hollow cavities in branches large enough to take them. Rosemary commented that many
of the larger groups involved in such projects, like the World Parrot Trust, the Loro Parque Foundation, and Birdlife International were well known, but that there were many smaller, less recognised local groups doing sterling work with little publicity. She started her world tour in Australasia, citing first the Carnaby’s Cockatoo, which has lost 93% of its native habitat to government- sanctioned clearance for agriculture, timber and mining. The situation has been exacerbated in many areas by prolonged drought and fires. She said that written information on many of these birds
40 BIRD SCENE
is well out of date, as the situation is worsening so rapidly. This is particularly true of the Western (Stanley) Rosella, which is legally shot as a crop pest. The Barraband’s Parakeet has lost 75% of its original habitat, and whilst tree planting is taking place, it can take 100 years for suitable nest hollows to appear, so this is where some of the artificial hollowing is being done. Neophema species tend to nest in open- topped stumps, and these are also in short supply. The Black Palm Cockatoo has lost 85% of its native habitat, much of that to bauxite mining. And so the
depressing list went on. Rosemary mentioned other
important factors such as the discouraging of bees, snakes and other reptiles or small mammals from using nest holes, and the elimination of predators (many introduced and not native) such as cats and rats. Techniques used for
Red-
fronted Kakariki
the Kiwi of eliminating these predators from off-shore islands, or contained areas, and then releasing captive-bred birds into such areas have been adopted for the Red-fronted Kakariki. Radio tracking of
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