Kep Koorliny. That is the name of one of the Wheatbelt’s newest Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo chicks. In the Noongar language, “Kep Koorliny” means ‘rain coming’ and it was suggested because these birds are most vocal with imminent rainfall. Our judging panel felt that it was a name full of meaning and local significance.
Congratulations to a Wheatbelt original, John Russell, who submitted the winning entry.
IS IT A BOY OR IS IT A GIRL?
That was a common question throughout the naming competition.
Our team was checking the hollow, and the chick’s progress, weekly. As it matured, the team was able to identify the chick as being male. The chick developed grey cheek patches and the dark grey bill that are all typical characteristics of male Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos. In contrast, female Carnaby’s cockatoos have more distinct and whiter check patches as well as a paler whitish bill.
AND THEN IT WAS TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
Just as we bestowed the chick a name, it was off. The chick grew into a very healthy bird, meeting all its growth milestones. The team went to the site a week or so ago to discover an empty hollow and signs of fledging.
If you’ve been following the journey of the chick that was found just before Christmas, you’ll know that this special little bird not only survived all the usual threats facing Black-Cockatoo chicks but also endured one of our hottest summers on record. This one is a true survivor!
To recap, here’s some camera footage of Kep Koorliny’s journey:
Week 1: Newly hatched
Week 3: Checking in after a string of hot days
Week 11: Getting ready to fledge
Week 12 – Empty nest. Farewell Kep Koorliny!
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition and has followed this chick’s journey from hatching through to fledging. Next time you see a juvenile Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo it might just be Kep Koorliny.
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.