Predation on the threatened Carnaby’s cockatoo (Zanda latirostris) by feral cats (Felis catus)

Context Feral cats (Felis catus) prey on a wide range of Australian native bird species, with most records related to smaller, ground-dwelling or ground-nesting species. Aims This study examined the impact of feral cat predation on endangered Carnaby’s cockatoo (Zanda latirostris), a large obligate hollow-nesting species. Methods Cat predation was measured during a study into the breeding ecology of Carnaby’s cockatoo at a long-term study site in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia. Key results Feral cats predated Carnaby’s cockatoo adult females in their nest hollow, their nestlings, and eggs in at least three out of 38 years. When it occurred in those 3 years, the feral cat predation impact, expressed as a percentage of breeding attempts on cockatoo nesting were 5.2%, 11.6%, and 24.1%. The increase in predation rate in the year with the highest recorded rate coincided with the breeding season following an intense 8-month drought in mid-western Western Australia, which likely had an adverse impact on prey species more often consumed by feral cats. Conclusion The results suggest that predation by cats can be a significant threat to Carnaby’s cockatoo because it reduces the survival of adult breeding females and recruitment of fledglings. Implications Control of feral cats by local-scale shooting and cage trapping have both been used to achieve short-term success, offering a possible means of mitigating the long-term impact of feral cats at the study site, and potentially elsewhere.