Artificial nests could be the salvation of Carnaby's cockatoos

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Australia has five black cockatoos, one of which is known as Carnaby’s cockatoo. It is at grave risk of becoming extinct as many of their breeding grounds have been wiped out by clearing and bushfires. Cockatoos chew out the insides of hollow branches and eventually these decay to the point where the birds are forced to find new hollows, of which there are very few. Trees need to be a minimum of 150 years old to produce the natural hollows required for nesting. However, the birds have just had one of their most successful breeding seasons for a very long time. Thanks to the creation of artificial nests made of durable plastic tubing, a record 138 nests were observed at a conservation site north of Perth. The plastic nesting tubes were used to restore decaying hollows and another 79 artificial nests were placed high in trees across the region. You can read more about the project here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-20/threatened-carnabys-cockatoo-has-best-breeding-season-on-record/100924278 The photo is not of a Carnaby’s cockatoo but of a similar species. Carnaby’s have white cheek patches.