Learn more about these birds and how to prepare for the Great Cocky Count.
BirdLife Australia supports the recovery of Southwest Black-Cockatoos (Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo, Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo, Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo) and their habitat through projects such as the Great Cocky Count.
The Great Cocky Count (GCC) is an annual ‘snapshot’ citizen science survey of Black-Cockatoos in southwest WA. It surveys three taxa (Carnaby’s and Baudin’s (both white-tailed) and Forest Red-tailed) between Geraldton and Esperance on a single night in April. The GCC is one of the largest and longest-running citizen science field surveys in WA and is used to estimate black-cockatoo numbers, population trends and identify key habitat. The event is coordinated by BirdLife Australia.
A roost is an area of tall trees in the landscape where birds congregate to rest. For the GCC we only count at night roosts, which is where birds rest and sleep overnight. Therefore, when it comes to people reporting new roost sites to us, it is important to verify that the birds to remain at the site overnight and that it isn’t a day roost.
When you are sure that birds are staying at the site overnight please email us with the details at greatcockycount@birdlife.org.au.
When reporting a roost site please tell us whether the black-cockatoos are white-tailed or red-tailed, the approximate number roosting and include a GPS point (in decimal degrees), a Google Maps link or an address with a detailed description of the exact location. We can then check whether the site is already in our database, and if not, add it in and allocate it for counting during the GCC.
You will be sent an allocation email with GPS point, address/location description and a Google Maps link. The easiest way to find the site is to open this link in a smart phone or computer and follow the Google Maps instructions. If you don’t want to do this online, you may need to print a map or use a map book. We recommend that you visit the site before the big day if you have time, to familiarise yourself with the site.
We prefer to use decimal degrees since this is the one that Google Maps and Earth default to. These have two numbers, one negative and one positive (eg -31.744, 115.7347). Please be aware that other people may use other coordinate systems but they will have different values. For example, the above location is 31 degrees, 44 minutes and 40 seconds; 115 degrees, 44 minutes and 5 seconds when expressed in DMS. This means that whatever system you use you need to take this into account. The safest way is to stick to decimal degrees.
If you don’t have permission to enter the property (either via BirdLife Australia in the allocation email or from talking to the landowner) then do not trespass.
Most of these sites can be surveyed from the surrounding road verges or public spaces nearby. If we have up to date contact details of the landowners, we will provide them to you. If you do not have any and can introduce yourself that would be great. Even better, if you can ask for an email address or phone number so BirdLife can contact them we would really appreciate it.
All roosts have buffers around them. For small roosts (counts less than 150 birds) these are 500m, for large roosts (>=150 birds) they are 1km. This means that any cockies that roost within 500m or 1km of the given GPS point are in YOUR roost. So yes, if you see or hear cockies in the vicinity please try to find and count them! Use your ears and follow the sounds of cockies. If there are other roosts nearby which overlap with your buffer zone we will let you know so you can avoid double counting and encroaching on these roost sites.
You will often be allocated a roost with other registered volunteers. This is done for several reasons:
All people allocated to the same roost site will be cc’d into the same roost allocation email. We encourage people to contact others in their group to arrange the finer details, such as a good meeting place and time, exchange mobile numbers etc. This helps ensure that on the big day everyone will know where to go and we can achieve the most accurate counts.
The GCC started out as a survey of Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos in the Perth-Peel region. Autumn is the best time of year to survey populations of Carnaby’s as it coincides with the non-breeding season, with Carnaby’s found in more coastal areas that often coincide with urban areas. Since then, the GCC has become a southwest WA wide event surveying all three endemic taxa of black-cockatoos. It is possible that in some areas Autumn is not the best time of year to survey. However, in order to analyse trends in populations between years we always need to survey at the same time of year. People can still survey at other times of year and send the data to BirdLife through our Birdata app, it just won’t be part of the GCC.
No, if we include data from other days there is the risk of double counting or missing birds, since the birds may have been at different roosts on GCC day.
You should receive an email confirming your registration after submitting the online form. If you don’t hear anything within a few days of submitting your registration, please email greatcockycount@birdlife.org.au so we can check that you have registered correctly. Please check your spam/junk folders before contacting us – sometimes our emails can end up here.
With over 700 participants and over 400 sites to assign for counting, the allocation process can take some time. Most people will receive their site allocation email sometime between the 17th and 31st March, which means most people will have at least a week’s notice of where they are going. If you have not received an allocation email by Tuesday 1st April, please check your junk/spam/clutter folders, it may be in there (search for the words ‘roost site allocation’). If you can’t find it, please email greatcockycount@birdlife.org.au.
Most of the time it’s a yes. The first thing to do is to check that is indeed a night roost (see Question 2). If it is then let us know and we will check whether it’s in our database. If it is, then it may already be allocated to someone else, but if it isn’t then we can allocate it to you.
We’re afraid not. While black-cockatoos do show a fair degree of fidelity to their overnight roost sites so we can predict where they will be, sometimes they show fidelity to a subset of roost sites. This means that we know they will roost at one of several sites, but don’t know which one they will end up at on the night, hence we need to have counters at all locations. In addition, sometimes birds may be disturbed for some reason, resulting in them roosting elsewhere on the night. Hence, an empty roost on one night may be occupied on the next. So don’t despair, just cross your fingers. And please remember that a zero count is as important as any other, it just isn’t much fun for the counter.
Count them in the tally as they arrive, however subtract them from your tally if they leave. Please make notes in the comments section of the time and direction they are heading on departure, especially for large flocks. However do not include any birds that have left the site in your final tally.
The form we send with the allocation email will normally be an editable pdf. Some people print and fill in the form by hand and then scan it and email it back to us. Others transfer their data into the editable form on their computer and email it back. In this case, please check to make sure that the data you have been entered into the form has been saved, as occasionally we receive blank forms by accident and have to follow up. You can also post it to us using the address on the survey form. If you are having issues with all the methods listed above, please email us at greatcockycount@birdlife.org.au with all the details about the count that would normally be included in the survey form.
Sometimes it’s too dark to pick up the tail colours and other identifying features of black-cockatoos. This is why we encourage you to become familiar with their calls, as they are very different and allow for easy identification between Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos and White-tailed Black-Cockatoos. Visit our black-cockatoo identification resources to find more information and audio of their calls. You can also record them calling on the night and then identify them by comparing their calls to the audio online. Being able to distinguish between Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos and White-tailed Black-Cockatoos is essential for the Great Cocky Count.
ASAP! We really need your data within a week or two. We put it straight in the database and it gets analysed as soon as all the data is in. Sometimes we need to check the details with counters and the fresher it is in their memory the better. Unfortunately, some people forget to send their completed survey forms to us within the designated two weeks and this causes us extra work following up to get the data. If we have not received your results you will continue to receive reminder emails from us until we hear from you. This inevitably takes some time and delays the analysis and the release of the GCC report.
Due to resourcing and capacity restraints in recent years, a decision was made that a formal GCC report would not be released every year, but every two to three years. We plan to release the next Great Cocky Count report later this year once the 2025 GCC data has been analysed. In the meantime, the latest report can be found below.
Birdata is a data portal which BirdLife has set up for bird surveys. It comes as a free app for Android phones and iPhones and as an online portal for PCs. You do not have to be a Birdlife member to use Birdata, however you do need to create a free account. Birdata is a great way to keep track of your own personal sightings as well as explore what species you may see in different regions and contribute to the numerous programs that Birdlife runs around Australia. To find out more go to the Birdata help page.
You can use Birdata to complete your GCC survey. However it is set out differently to the hard copy form so we recommend that you set up an account and familiarise yourself with Birdata well before the count if you’d like to try this method. Follow the step-by-step guide here to learn how to record all the details needed. Once you submit your survey online there is no need to send us a hard copy or scanned copy of the survey – it automatically goes into our database. However, we do request that you send us an email to inform us that you have submitted your survey through the Birdata App.
We understand that sometimes people are no longer able to participate due to illness or last-minute emergencies. Please let us know as soon as possible if you can no longer participate and need to withdraw from the Great Cocky Count, even if it’s on the day. This way we can try to ensure that the roost site is still counted on the night, so we don’t miss precious data. We will also know not to pester you for your survey form down the track.
You can request a certain site in the online registration form. While we will do our best to accommodate your request, the final decision on who goes where sits with BirdLife, given the volume of roost site allocations involved.
We really appreciate all the time you have put towards helping us survey sites for the GCC in the past! If you let us know, we will do our best to allocate you to count at a more reliable roost site. Though please remember, zero counts are just as important as positive counts, so your past surveys are still just as valuable as all other results.
The Great Cocky Count is BirdLife Australia's annual snapshot survey of black-cockatoos in south-western WA. Help us monitor these unique and threatened birds.
Find out below what you need to do to prepare for and participate in the Great Cocky Count.
