World-first recognition technology will be used in the desperate fight to save an iconic but endangered species. Numbers of Carnaby's black cockatoos, a bird endemic to southwestern Western Australia, have halved in the past 45 years.
Now, AI recognition technology and an app to support it is being developed by the University of Western Australia as part of a three-year initiative to save them from extinction.
High-Tech Tracking for Conservation
Botanist and conservationist Kingsley Dixon said the world-first high-tech help will provide critical tracking information. "Currently, it's completely mysterious to science because we rely on clunky old-fashioned radio trackers," said the professor, who is leading the Corridors for Carnaby's (CFC) project.
Population numbers are in "freefall" due to clearing, and the goal of CFC is to restore 1000 hectares of habitat and food sources to "extinction proof" them. The initiative also includes planting 200,000 new banksia trees along a 10km stretch south of Mandurah, aiming to connect habitat and vegetation vital to the cockatoos.
Why Banksia Trees Matter
Carnaby's black cockatoos are one of the only species of birds that eat the hard fruit of the banksia tree. Artificial nests and water stations will also be installed across the corridor.
"We've cleared its land, it's lost its food, it's lost its nest hollows. Humans created the problem, humans can create the solution," Dixon said.
Amazon Backs the Initiative
Retail giant Amazon has backed the multi-pronged strategy with a $3.3 million investment. Its funding will also help train Indigenous seed collectors and restoration practitioners. "(The cockatoos) are the voice of the bush," Winjan Aboriginal Corporation director Brett Hill told 7NEWS. "But also, we've got to be their voice as well."
Dixon said the initiative is a "turning point" in the fight to save the bird. "It's mission-critical, even planet-critical. If we can't get the Carnaby's right, then we won't get much else right," he said.
Amazon's investment was delivered through its Right Now Climate Fund. "It is one of the highest grants that we've made," fund spokesperson Michael Miller said. "It's a $100m fund and we've made grants around the world in 16 different countries."
Banksia tree planting will be completed by 2029.
