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Fires Devastate Pink Cockatoo Habitat
14 Jun
Summary
- Bushfires destroyed 70% of the pink cockatoo's core habitat in Wyperfeld National Park.
- Only a handful of ancient native pines, crucial for nesting, survived two fires.
- Conservationists are building artificial hollows and planting new trees.
Two fires in the last 12 years have decimated the essential nesting habitat for endangered pink cockatoos in Victoria's Wyperfeld National Park. The recent 2025-26 bushfires alone scorched 70% of the "pine plains," a critical area for the birds, leaving very few of the ancient native pines they depend on.
These old-growth cypress pines, at least 85 years old and ideally over 125 years, are crucial for the cockatoos to excavate nesting hollows. Previous fires in 2014 had already significantly reduced the number of these cavity-bearing trees, making the recent devastation particularly alarming.
In response, conservationists and volunteers, including the Mallee Woodpeckers and Parks Victoria, are actively working to mitigate the damage. Efforts include constructing artificial nesting hollows in standing dead trees and planting new slender cypress pines to ensure the species' future.
Local traditional owners, represented by the Barengi Gadjin Land Council, have expressed major concern, emphasizing the cultural significance of the pink cockatoo. While supporting recovery efforts, they note that the lost trees will take many years to mature and adequately support the population.
