Feeding activity of threatened black cockatoos in mine-site rehabilitation in the jarrah forest of south-western Australia

Land clearing threatens three black cockatoo species (forest red-tailed black cockatoo, (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso), Carnaby's cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris), and Baudin's cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii) endemic to south-western Australia, so revegetation is important to their recovery. Over three years we studied cockatoo activityin7-14-year-oldmine-siterehabilitationintheregion'sjarrah(Eucalyptusmarginata)-marri(Corymbiacalophylla) forest to give the most detailed description to date of the use of rehabilitation by the birds. Pits varied floristically and structurally (despite similar rehabilitation prescriptions), but interior and exterior plots (100m 2 ) were similar within pits. Using feeding traces (e.g. chewed husks), and behavioural observations we confirmed feeding within eight years of revegetation.Plotscontainingfeedingtraceweresimilartoplotswithout,sofactorsdeterminingblackcockatoofeedingmay not be apparent at small scales. Returning food resources reflected vegetation succession, with regenerating marri and fast- maturingproteaceousspeciesprovidingmostfood.Carnaby'scockatooateBanksiaandHakeaseedsandBaudin'scockatoo andtheforestred-tailed blackcockatooconsumedmarriseeds.Banksiasquarrosa,Hakeaundulata,H.prostrataandmarri were common foods in all years. Revegetation efforts elsewhere should consider these species, within the constraints of rehabilitation protocols addressing multiple aims.