Register      Login
Pacific Conservation Biology Pacific Conservation Biology Society
A journal dedicated to conservation and wildlife management in the Pacific region.
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Retention of transmitter attachments on black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus spp.).

Anna T Le Souef, Dejan Stojanovic, Allan H Burbidge, Simone D Vitali, Robert Heinsohn, Rick Dawson and Kristin S Warren

Pacific Conservation Biology 19(1) 55 - 57
Published: 01 March 2013

Abstract

Despite the widespread use of telemetry to track the movements of many different avian species, there are few published studies describing tracking methods for large psittacine birds. Due to their powerful bills and inquisitive demeanours, large parrots may damage valuable transmitters and confound telemetry studies. We undertook a captive trial of three attachment methods (collar, harness and tail-mount) and a novel weak-link harness design for black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus latirostris, C. baudinii and C. banksii naso). Mean retention times for the transmitter packages ranged from 44 to 384 days. There was no skin or feather damage to the birds associated with transmitter attachments. The results showed sufficient transmitter retention times to allow for the collection of valuable movement and survival data, with no obvious ill effects on animal welfare, and are a first step towards using transmitters on wild cockatoos.

https://doi.org/10.1071/PC130055

© CSIRO 2013

Committee on Publication Ethics


Export Citation Get Permission

View Dimensions