From nesting hollows to elevated watering stations, black cockatoos across the Katanning area are now under the watchful eye of new monitoring cameras aimed at boosting conservation efforts.

Under the State Government’s natural resource management program, Katanning Landcare secured funding for more conservation resources as part of its “keeping an eye on Carnaby’s” project.

The grant has paid for monitoring cameras to be installed on six artificial nesting hollows and two elevated watering stations in rural areas across the shire.

As well as the cameras, it also included funding for eight solar-powered monitoring cameras and fencing at four local sites that will be revegetated in July 2026 with native trees and shrubs to provide food for Carnaby’s black cockatoos and future natural nesting homes.

The motion-sensing cameras were installed by contractor Dean Arthurell of Carnaby’s Crusaders on June 2 and are linked to a phone app which will notify Katanning Landcare staff when activity is detected.

While Mr Arthurell was installing the cameras, he also installed a “cockatube” which was donated to Katanning Landcare by Landcare SJ Inc.

The nesting tube has an improved design with a base panel that can be opened to allow old nesting materials to be cleaned out.

Project officer Annabel Paulley said the new cameras will make it much easier to record how frequently black cockatoos are using the nesting boxes and watering stations.

“We started installing the artificial nesting hollows in 2023 and the elevated watering stations in 2025 but we can’t be there 365 days a year to monitor them,” she said.

“The cameras are going to do that job for us and hopefully we’ll get some great video footage of our Carnaby’s, particularly during the breeding season which starts around September.”

Katanning Landcare plans to hold a Carnaby’s cinema event in November to show the community some photos and video footage taken by the cameras.

The event will also feature special guest, Noongar elder Graham Eades who will talk about why black cockatoos are important in Aboriginal culture.