GPS telemetry facilitates the identification of forage plant species for endangered Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) at inland breeding sites and post-breeding dispersal locations in Western Australia

Zoë M. Kissane; Karen J. Riley; Kristin S. Warren; Jill M. Shephard

doi:10.1071/PC24049

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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GPS telemetry facilitates the identification of forage plant species for endangered Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) at inland breeding sites and post-breeding dispersal locations in Western Australia

Zoë M. Kissane

^A ^* , Karen J. Riley ^A , Kristin S. Warren ^A ^B and Jill M. Shephard

^A

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia. Email: k.riley@murdoch.edu.au, j.shephard@murdoch.edu.au, k.warren@murdoch.edu.au

^B Conservation Medicine Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: zoe.kissane@murdoch.edu.au

Handling Editor: Rob Davis

Pacific Conservation Biology 30, PC24049 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC24049

Submitted: 8 July 2024 Accepted: 25 October 2024 Published: 14 November 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) are an endangered species that has experienced major loss of habitat over the past century. Proponents seeking land clearing approval that may impact Carnaby’s cockatoos need to provide detailed habitat assessment. However, the current forage species list is outdated and generally restricted to the Swan Coastal Plain rather than the Carnaby’s full distribution range. This study provides an updated forage list, including the Swan Coastal Plain and much of the Carnaby’s breeding and non-breeding areas outside this region. Carnaby’s cockatoos were captured and satellite tagged, at five breeding sites in the wheatbelt and Great Southern areas in Western Australia (between 2017 and 2022). Spatial data collected from the tags facilitated the identification of forage plants used by Carnaby’s cockatoos. A total of 44 ‘new’ native plant species were identified as Carnaby’s cockatoo forage species, including five genera that have not previously been recorded. The updated forage list will inform proponents and regulators on the potential use of habitat patches by Carnaby’s cockatoos, aiding the referral process and enabling the protection and conservation of important and diminishing habitat resources.

Keywords: biodiversity offset, Carnaby’s cockatoo, conservation management, endangered species, forage species, foraging ecology, GPS telemetry, movement ecology, Zanda latirostris.

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