Bird nesting box in Perth

5 posts / 0 new

Tue, 11/12/2018 - 21:48

reikin

Hi all. I live in Applecross in Perth and I'm thinking of installing a bird nesting box. My question is, is there any particular bird that needs the help more than another?

I live in a unit with a suprisingly large backyard, with a large flowering gum where I think I can get a nesting box high enough to make it fairly safe from cats and things. All the plants in the garden are native and I get quite a collection of birds visiting. Don't ask me what they are; I just like seeing them. Having said that I've had all the usual such as the common parrots around Perth, wattlebirds and other such things. A group of Kookaburras set up a sniper team around a small fish pond I have for a couple of days until I put netting over it, a hawk came and had a rest on the outdoor setting one day and late one night I was almost hit in the head by a tawny frogmouth (I think) that flew low over the backyard before sitting on the gutter for a while checking me out.

So I think the garden is doing alright with attracting birds but i thought I'd put in bird nesting box(es) as well. Just should I focus on any particular bird?

Wed, 12/12/2018 - 16:06

Woko

I don't live in Perth but I'm aware that Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo & Baudin's Cockatoo, particularly the former, are under huge stress from foolish clearance of their habitat which includes trees with deep, fairly upright hollows. You might try putting up nest boxes which suit them although my reading tells me Baudin's Black-Cockatoo rarely ventures onto the Perth plain.

I'd suggest that both species need all the natural help (if that's not an oxymoron) they can get. But, then, this could apply to almost all Australian bird species these days. You could try looking online for the various types of nesting boxes for native birds that require hollows for breeding but I'd suggest putting up only a few because there's the risk of too much competition among species around breeding time. Encouraging neighbours, the local council & the state government to restore & extend habitats would help reduce this risk.

Nest boxes require monitoring as they're often taken over by feral bees &, in the eastern states, by the notorious Indian Mynah.

If you haven't already you might want to plant local species of Banksias, Hakeas & Grevilleas to provide Cockatoos with food.

One thing I'd avoid is putting up a nest box for Laughing Kookaburras. This species is introduced to south west WA & needs to be discouraged.

No doubt Birds in Backyards members who live in Perth will be able to provide other information. Your local council may also have an environmental officer who could point you in the right direction.

Thu, 13/12/2018 - 00:00

reikin

Thanks for that. The Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo is definitely around near where I live. There is a reserve about 10 km's away that is part of a habitat restoration project for the cockatoo. I regularly see them around this part of the world but I don't think I've ever seen one in my backyard.

Everything planted in the backyard is native to this part of the world, apart from a couple of small lime trees and some vegetables. I've found a collection of plans for nest boxes at various locations online. Once I work out which bird I'll put something together. Probably only one to begin with; the tree's pretty big but I don't think it's that big. I might also build one for bats; I've seen a few bats around and the Perth Zoo has information about nest boxes for them.

The environmental officer at the local council is a good idea. I've seen their name on a info document; I'll try and track them down.

Thanks again.

Thu, 13/12/2018 - 13:30

Woko

Glad to be of help, reikin.

If I could make one comment on your garden: Brilliant! Planting local species is the most helpful thing you can do to encourage the restoration of wildlife to your area as the wildlife is adapted to those local species.