General
Palm cockatoo numbers predicted to halve in 50 years due to slow breeding rates and habitat loss
Australia’s beautiful and elusive palm cockatoos, likened to Ringo Starr for their musical drumming behaviour, are expected to more than halve in number in the next 50 years, according to new research.
Key points:
- Palm cockatoos are the only birds in the world that use tools musically
- Australian researchers have published a paper in the journal Biological Conservation finding the species is in severe decline
- They will apply next month to the Queensland Government to have the birds classified as endangered
The birds are only found near the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland and the population is estimated at about 1,500.
Australian National University (ANU) zoology professor Rob Heinsohn described palm cockatoos as the “animal…
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