Cockatoo Control (Cacatua galerita)

The sulphur crested Cockatoo is probably one of the most well known birds in Australia. It is found across northern, eastern and south eastern Australia. Feeding mostly on seeds of grasses, grain, leaf buds, herbaceous plants, berries and some insects and larvae.
Cockatoos breed from August to January and usually have two eggs. Increasingly they are moving into regional towns and major cities where they will vandalise anything from buildings to synthetic sports field.
They maintain the same roosting area and fly out to feed during the day. Most feeding is in the morning and afternoon. They will continue to feed in the same area until the food source is exhausted and then they’ll move on. Outside breeding season, they can congregate in large flocks. When in open areas, while most birds are feeding a few “look outs” will perch high up in a vantage point and screech loudly if danger approaches. The entire flock will immediately take flight. Sulphur crested cockatoos are sometimes in company of other cockatoos especially galahs and corellas. Sulphur crested cockatoos have benefited greatly by man increasing it’s food supply in the form of grain crops, nuts, fruit, grapes etc.
Sometimes they simply vandalise a crop by “pruning” it out of boredom or perhaps the taste of the sap in newly sprouting vines and trees in spring.
Provided the birds are prevented from establishing a feeding area, they will move on to easier pickings. A little bit of management in the morning when birds are deciding where to feed today is always recommended as a reinforcement to the Bird Gard system

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