Update on Longevity and Movements of Carnaby?s Black Cockatoo

Abstract

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris is an endangered species, found only in the southwest of Western Australia. Between 1971 and 1976 this species was the subject of a detailed ecological study (Saunders 1982). As part of that study, adults and fledglings were individually marked on each wing with stainless steel tags (patagial tags) described by Rowley and Saunders (1980). They were also marked with a numbered leg band of stainless steel supplied by the Australian Bird Banding Scheme. Observations made of tagged individuals provided much of the data used to explain the breeding biology, behaviour and movements of this species (Saunders 1980, 1982, 1986; Saunders and Ingram 1998). Despite major problems associated with the use of patagial tags (Saunders 1988), much of the ecology of the species could not have been investigated without their use.