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How to Plant Black-Cockatoo Friendly Gardens

Habitat clearance and degradation are major threats to black-cockatoos in south-western Australia, with development rapidly reducing their remaining habitat around Perth. You can help black-cockatoos by planting native plants in your garden, or when replanting your local reserve.

Photographed by Jason Moore. Carnaby's Black Cockatoo

How to plant black-cockatoo friendly gardens

Planting trees for food and nest hollows now will provide necessary habitat for black-cockatoos in the future.

1. Make sure you use plants that are local to your area

Black-cockatoos are much more likely to recognise local plants as food, and the plants will also grow much better in your soils.

2. It’s important to leave plenty of room between roads and plants (at least 3–5 metres) for the cockatoos to fly out safely

Over 80% of cockatoos in rehabilitation centres were brought in after being hit by vehicles. Cockatoos are very large, and it’s difficult for them to fly up quickly from low plants or after feeding on the ground.

3. Make clean, fresh water available to help cockatoos and other wildlife in your garden

They will use ponds, water troughs and even garden bird baths. Make sure bird baths are kept clean to reduce the spread of disease.

Native plants that black-cockatoos love

Our plant selection provides variety in shape and size to suit every garden, as well as different flowering times to supply food throughout the year. Ask your nursery for guidance on the plants that will grow best in your soil type, or how to prune larger plants to best fit into your garden.

Several plants on this list make great hedges and screens. Growing these plants in thickets provides plenty of cockatoo food and also supports small birds and mammals.

  • Slender Banksia (Banksia attenuata) *Biara
  • Firewood Banksia (Banksia menziesii) *Bwongka
  • Acorn Banksia (Banksia prionotes) *Bwongka
  • Parrot Bush (Banksia sessilis) *Pudjuk
  • Urchin Dryandra (Banksia undata) *Bwongka
  • Lesser Bottlebrush (Callistemon phoeniceus) *Tubada
  • Marri (Corymbia calophylla) *Kardan
  • Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) *Cherring or Jarrah
  • Fuchsia Grevillea (Grevillea bipinnatifida)
  • Honey Bush (Hakea lissocarpha) *Djanda
  • Two-Leaf Hakea (Hakea trifurcata) *Berrung
  • Wavy-leafed Hakea (Hakea undulata) *Djanda

* Aboriginal (Noongar) plant name

No matter whether you have a balcony or a bush block, advice on how to make your garden more friendly for black-cockatoos and other wildlife can be found at ReWild Perth.

Check out the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attraction’s webpage on black-cockatoos and use the search tool to find suitable plants for your soil type and location. Note that this list includes some weeds (both native and non-native species), so be sure to use only local WA native plants.

Related information

Project
Southwest Black-Cockatoo Recovery

BirdLife Australia has been working on black-cockatoo recovery actions since 2001. In Western Australia, we are working with local communities, landholders and land managers to secure the protection and conservation of the three species of black-cockatoos across the South West.

Program
Urban Birds

Urban sprawl has a huge impact on native birds. BirdLife Australia's Urban Bird Program protects birds and their habitats across our rapidly changing and expanding cities.

Page
How to create a bird-friendly garden​

Conservation starts in your backyard. The plants that we choose for our gardens can provide most, sometimes even all, of the food, shelter and nesting resources that urban birds require. So when you are deliberating over which plants to add your garden, it’s useful to consider the following.