Jill Shephard

Every year, over 250 endangered black cockatoos are hospitalized at the Perth Zoo Veterinary Department for illness and injuries, mostly related to vehicle strike. After hospital treatment, birds are returned to fitness at special black cockatoo rehabilitation centers. Social grouping and fitness for release are carefully managed by state wildlife officers before the birds are returned to the wild. Evaluating the success of this program has recently been made possible by the attachment of tiny satellite tracking devices to the tail feathers of released birds. This is the first time such technology has been used to gauge the success of a cockatoo rehabilitation program, and has revealed fascinating insights into the post-release behaviors and movements of these iconic birds.