Citizen science to protect the Great Glossy

THE ANNUAL Great Glossy Count is inviting citizen scientists in the Tweed region to participate in counting the distribution of the south-eastern glossy black-cockatoo.

From September 7 to September 9, bird lovers and bird watchers in the Tweed can contribute to the vital information gathered by the Glossy Black Conservancy.

Organisers will hold a free volunteer information session and training workshop at Pottsville Environment Park tomorrow, Saturday, August 31, from 10 am to 12.30 pm.

The workshop includes training on identifying glossies by sight and sound, how to differentiate females, males and juveniles and how to use the Birdata app to record sightings.

Participants will also learn about the behaviour and ecology of the glossy and how to recognise their food source.

Glossy black-cockatoos generally travel in small groups of two to three and are quieter and less social than their yellow-tailed or red-tailed relatives. They are the smallest of the three species, with red panels on their tail feathers, and lack the prominent crests seen in other black cockatoos.

The south-eastern glossy black-cockatoo is listed as vulnerable under federal legislation. Large areas of feeding habitat were destroyed in the Black Summer Bushfires of 2019–20, putting the glossy at risk of further population decline.

Feeding almost exclusively on the seeds found in the cones of she-oak trees (Allocasuarina and Casuarina), data on their feeding habitats is vital for bushfire recovery and conservation action planning.

The event is a partnership between Birdlife Australia, Tweed Shire Council, and the Glossy Black Conservancy. The latter is a consortium of organisations collaborating to conserve the Glossy across southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales.

Glossy sightings can be recorded at any time of the year; however, registering for the workshop is essential to participating in the annual count.

For more information, head to events.humanitix.com/2024-great-glossy-count-glossy-black-cockatoo-id-workshop