The NSW Saving our Species program is calling for community volunteers to become “cockatoo counters” and help be part of the Great Inland Glossy Count this November.
National Parks and Wildlife Service Senior Project Officer Adam Fawcett said anyone can be a part of it.
“Bird lovers, citizen scientists or anyone with an interest in this beautiful threatened species, are needed to survey Glossy Black Cockatoo populations at three key sites around inland NSW.
“Glossies are easily spotted with their distinctive red markings and this cockatoo count will help our scientists understand more about this threatened bird,” he said.
This is the second year the Great Inland Glossy Count has occurred. In 2019 seventy volunteers participated and counted over 700 Glossy Black Cockatoos across inland NSW.
On Saturday, 21 November, Goobang National Park, some 100km from Forbes, will be surveyed.
“What a great opportunity to get out to some of our amazing national parks and state forests, sit back and watch a threatened species in its natural habitat,” Adam said.
Volunteers will need to pre-register using the Department of Planning Industry and Environment’s website www.app.betterimpact.com/PublicEnterprise. COVID guidelines will be followed.
The project is funded by the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program and the NSW Environmental Trust, and is led by Central West Local Land Services in partnership with NPWS, NSW Forest Corp, Dubbo Field Naturalists, Australian Wildlife Conservancy and the land owners and managers within these areas.