“Preliminary results from collaborative research between the Australian National University and ACT government indicate there may be fewer gang-gangs in Canberra than was previously believed.” “While we consider the ACT to be a stronghold for the species, the gang-gang is probably one of the least understood parrots in Australia,” she said. The ACT environment minister, Rebecca Vassarotti, described the gang-gang as a “popular rascal” whose distinctive call was adored by the Canberra community. The ACT government will coordinate national recovery efforts after receiving funding from the federal government to establish a national working group. “With climate change only going to make things harder for this cold-climate bird, the government needs to step in and better protect this amazing bird and the native forests that provide essential nesting hollows in old growth trees.” “Even before the devastation of the 2019-20 fires, the species has been suffering immensely,” she said. Holly Parsons, the manager of BirdLife’s urban bird program, which includes a gang-gang cockatoo recovery project, said the organisation’s monitoring had shown steep declines in the species since the 1970s. Listing of the birds will mean developments likely to trigger a significant impact on the species must be assessed under national laws.īirdLife Australia said it was a welcome move, but the organisation was “devastated to see a bird beloved by so many people in so much trouble”. That decline was expected to continue because increased heatwaves and fire frequency as a result of the climate emergency were increasing pressure on the species across its range, with bushfires likely to reduce the amount of nesting habitat available to the birds. The bushfires affected 36% of the birds’ range, leading to an estimated further drop in numbers of 21%. The scientific committee wrote in draft advice last year that gang-gang populations had already declined by between 15% and 69% before the fires. The bird is one of several plants and animals that required assessment after the 2019-20 bushfire disaster a number of other species are also expected to be added to the threatened list. They are a common sight in Canberra, where they are often found in back yards in the inner suburbs and in nearby bushland reserves. The adult males are known for their distinctive red facial feathers. Gang-gangs are small, grey cockatoos found throughout south-eastern Australia.
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