Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 90: 33–40, 2007 An endangered species that is also a pest: a case study of Baudin’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus baudinii and the pome fruit industry in south-west Western Australia T F Chapman Department of Environment and Conservation, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley WA 6983.
[email protected] Manuscript received September 2006; accepted January 2007 Abstract Baudin’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus baudinii is an endangered species that is endemic to south- west Western Australia. It is also a declared pest of agriculture because it damages apple and pear (pome fruit) crops in commercial orchards. Although it is unlawful, some fruit growers shoot and kill the cockatoos to prevent fruit damage. A survey of pome fruit growers during the 2004/2005 season showed that shooting to kill can-not be justified in terms of the damage the cockatoos cause or the costs of damage control incurred by growers. Estimated loss of income to fruit damage by birds equated to 6% of farmgate income and the cost of damage control represented 2% of farmgate income. Damage levels varied significantly between individual properties and pink lady apple was the most commonly and severely damaged fruit variety. This study has shown that non-lethal scaring techniques are effective for protecting pome fruit from damage by Baudin’s Cockatoo. Keywords: Baudin’s Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus baudinii, pome fruit industry, Western Australia Introduction A grower survey was conducted during and after the 2004/2005 pome fruit season. The purpose of the survey Baudin’s Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus baudinii), the was to assess the attitudes of the growers toward the long-billed White-tailed Black Cockatoo, has been known conservation status of the cockatoo and to assess the cost to damage fruit in apple and pear (pome fruit) orchards of damage and damage control to growers.