The Great Cocky Count is WA’s largest citizen science event and is dedicated to monitoring the iconic and endangered Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo. This initiative is part of the House and Home: Safeguarding Native Species program, which we proudly sponsor together with Beach Energy.

Focusing on areas in the Mid West, including Irwin, Carnamah, and Coorow, the program aims to protect and restore critical habitat for the species within the region’s Eucalypt Woodlands. Key activities include conducting habitat surveys to identify breeding sites and potential threats, installing four artificial nesting hollows, and monitoring local cockatoo populations.

The Great Cocky Count is an annual event supporting ongoing conservation efforts for the species, which faces significant threats such as habitat loss and environmental strain. The team set up two roosting sites to record roosting numbers, one in the Shire of Irwin and another in Chapman Valley. The team observed approximately 200 Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos, including a flock of around 90 cockatoos. Results from the Great Cocky Count will contribute to a better understanding of the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos’ population numbers, roosting behaviour and locations.

We proudly support this collaborative effort to protect one of WA’s most iconic native species.

Photo credit: Mike Clarke at April 2025 Great Cocky Count