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Two separate sightings of Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo chicks with painted tails were made in Perth in April 2004.  These records indicate the chicks travelled about 160 km from their nesting hollows in the months after fledging.

This trial was conducted to test the tail-painting method as a means of tracking Carnaby's Black-Cockatoos, and to gather information about where cockatoos from particular breeding populations travel to after they leave their nesting sites.

Between November and December 2003, 29 Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo chicks from four different breeding sites in the northern wheatbelt had the white panels on their tail feathers painted.  The paint was a lanolin-based spray paint and the colours used were blue, green, orange and red.

From December 2003 to June 2004 a publicity campaign was carried out to encourage members of the public to report any sightings of painted tails and searches were conducted by Birds Australia WA volunteers and other individuals.

Eight potential sightings have been recorded to date, of which one has been confirmed and two others are highly feasible.  The confirmed sighting occurred in Moora shortly after the chick fledged and was made only a short distance (900 m) from the nesting hollow.  This chick later died.  A sighting some days earlier in Moora could possibly have been the same chick or another.

The two highly feasible sightings, both of cockatoos with red-painted tails were in the Perth Metropolitan area (in the suburbs of Cottesloe and Wanneroo).  One other sighting was of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos (race Samueli), another is believed to be of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos (race Naso).  Two other records are inconclusive.

At the July 2004 Recovery Team meeting it was concluded that although the trial provided us with some valuable observations, the extensive time and effort required to conduct it don't justify its continuation.  As a result we won't be marking tails this breeding season.

The trial was a joint effort between the Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Recovery Project being run by Birds Australia WA, the Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Recovery Team, Department of Conservation and Land Management and WA Museum.

Our thanks to all who kept an eye out for cockies with painted tails and contacted us with observations.  Your help was greatly appreciated.