How Can I Help?

How You Can Help
Gang-gang Recovery

Protect and enhance their habitat

Preserve old hollow-bearing trees — these are vital for nesting. Never remove them unless they’re a safety risk.
If you have property, plant native trees that provide food and future nest sites. Key food trees include eucalypts (especially mountain ash, messmate, manna gum), wattles (silver, black, and golden), and introduced fruit trees like hawthorn and cotoneaster which they also feed on in winter.
Keep understorey vegetation intact — Gang-gangs often forage in shrubs and low trees.

Support broader conservation efforts

Support policies and groups that protect old-growth and regrowth eucalypt forests — The Gippsland Forest Guardian and Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group are active in the Strzelecki Ranges and other key Gang-gang areas.

Provide clean, safe water

Continue maintaining a shallow, easy-to-clean water bowl as you already do. Keep it away from other bird feeding areas and clean it daily to prevent disease spread, especially avian influenza.

Protect known nesting and feeding areas

If you know of active or potential nest trees, report them to the Gang-gang Cockatoo Recovery Team or your local Landcare or council biodiversity officer so they can be mapped and protected.
If there’s forestry, development, or hazard reduction burning planned nearby, make sure those responsible know Gang-gangs are present.

Monitor and record

Submit observations to platforms like iNaturalist, Birdata or eBird. Recording nesting, feeding, or flock behaviour helps researchers track population changes and habitat use.
If you can identify individuals, long-term records of flock composition and breeding can be very valuable to scientists.

Minimise hazards

Avoid using pesticides that affect their food plants or insects.
If you have cats or dogs, keep them away from areas Gang-gangs visit.

Don't feed them - high fat seeds like sunflower seed are bad for gang-gang health - they eat a wide range of natural foods and don't need this extra "junk" food.

Raise awareness

Encourage neighbours to retain old trees and shrubs.
Share information with your local community or Landcare about Gang-gangs’ needs and conservation status.