Macropod Progressive Periodontal Disease (MPPD) is a well-recognised disease that causes high morbidity and mortality in captive macropods worldwide. Epidemiological data on MMPD are limited, although multiple risk factors associated with a captive environment appear to contribute to the development of clinical disease. The identification of risk factors associated with MPPD would assist with the development of preventive management strategies, potentially reducing mortality. Veterinary and husbandry records from eight institutions across Australia and Europe were analysed in a retrospective cohort study (1995 to 2016), examining risk factors for the development of MPPD. A review of records for 2759 macropods found incidence rates (IR) and risk of infection differed between geographic regions and individual institutions. The risk of developing MPPD increased with age, particularly for macropods >10 years (Australia Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) 7.63, p < 0.001; Europe IRR 7.38, p < 0.001). Prognosis was typically poor, with 62.5% mortality reported for Australian and European regions combined. Practical recommendations to reduce disease risk have been developed, which will assist zoos in providing optimal long-term health management for captive macropods and, subsequently, have a positive impact on both the welfare and conservation of macropods housed in zoos globally.

Rycken, S. J. E., K. S. Warren, L. Yeap, R. Donaldson, P. Mawson, R. Dawson, and J. M. Shephard. 2022. Forest specialist species in the urban landscape: Do different levels of urbanization affect the movements of Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso)? Avian Conservation and Ecology 17(1):11. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02061-170111

Context: Carnaby’s (Calyptorhychus latirostris), Baudin’s (Calyptorhynchus baudinii) and forest red-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) are threatened parrot species endemic to south-western Australia. Behavioural monitoring has previously involved direct observation, which has proven challenging because of their cryptic nature, the type of habitat they move through and their speed of movement. The development of a model to accurately classify behaviour from tri-axial accelerometer data will provide greater insight into black cockatoo behaviour and ecology. Aims: To develop an automated classifier model to classify accelerometer data from released black cockatoos to determine behaviour and activity budgets for three species of black cockatoo. Methods: In the present study, we attached tri-axial accelerometers, housed in GPS tags, to four Carnaby’s cockatoos, three forest red-tailed black cockatoos and two Baudin’s cockatoos in captive care, undergoing rehabilitation for release back to the wild. Accelerometer data from these birds was coupled with 19 video files of the birds’ behaviour when flying, feeding and resting, to develop an automated behaviour classifier. The classifier was then used to annotate accelerometer data from 15 birds released after successful rehabilitation and to calculate activity budgets for these birds post-release. Key results: We developed a classifier able to identify resting, flying and foraging behaviours from accelerometer data with 86% accuracy, as determined by the percentage of observed behaviours correctly identified by the classifier. The application of the classifier to accelerometer data from 15 released cockatoos enabled us to determine behaviours and activity budgets for all three species of black cockatoo. Black cockatoos spent most of their time at rest, followed by foraging with a short period of time flying. Conclusions: Application of the classifier to data from released birds gives researchers the ability to remotely identify patterns of behaviour and calculate activity budgets. Implications: Combining behaviour and activity budgets with location data provides useful insight into cockatoo movement, distribution, and habitat use. Such information is important for informing conservation efforts and addressing outstanding research objectives. Further studies including larger sample sizes of Baudin’s and forest red-tailed black cockatoos and comparing behaviour and activity between birds in breeding and non-breeding areas are warranted.

Hematologic and serum biochemistry blood reference intervals were established for the endangered marsupial, the bilby (Macrotis lagotis). Blood samples were collected from 135 bilbies that were housed in a captive breeding colony or were free ranging in a 10-ha exclosure. Statistical analyses were undertaken, and significant differences in parameters were found depending on age, sex, and captive or free-ranging status of animals. These reference intervals will assist ongoing health and conservation management of this endangered marsupial species.

Context: Carnaby’s cockatoos in Western Australia are experiencing ongoing population declines. Despite being highly mobile and adaptable, this endangered species has been impacted by fragmentation of its habitat, with an ongoing need for research on its movements in regional areas across its range to gain an understanding of habitat requirements, and to inform conservation plans. Aims: This study aimed to determine whether regional differences in movement (distances travelled, revisitations and home range) exist for foraging and roosting behaviour for this species. Methods: Movement analysis of satellite-tagged Carnaby’s cockatoos (n = 11) across three agricultural regions was conducted. Key results: When comparing distances between roosts and daily foraging behaviour, no significant differences were found between regions (P ≥ 0.05). Resident home ranges (home ranges in areas of resident daily movement) of flocks were much larger in the Esperance region, however, showing differences in movement patterns between regions. Conclusions: Because flocks were similar in size (n = ±300) between regions and used a similar amount of native vegetation for foraging (±20%), we concluded that movement may have been influenced by the spatial separation of patches of native vegetation. In addition, key foraging habitat often occurred within patches of non-native foraging species. Implications: The information derived from this research has proven valuable in assessing the use of native vegetation in the landscape, identifying key habitat and determining daily and seasonal movement patterns. In addition, the importance of non-native food sources must be recognised and protection of native and non-native food sources must play a critical role in the species’ conservation management.