Around this time each year flocks of gang gang cockatoos arrive in town to the same few trees in a carpark. They strip the tree and throw branches and leaves everywhere. I'm wondering what gums they are attracted to as I'd like to plant some in my yard as a long term bird investment.
Can we assume you are somewhere Northish?
I get gang gangs (in Gippsland, Vic) in Summer.
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
I'd be very much inclined to plant trees that are indigenous to your area, bibby. Being adapted to local conditions they'll survive best & you probably won't have to water them at all if you plant them about now. And they'll not only attract Gang Gang Cockatoos but also other birds & animals that have evolved with them.
You can get information about indigenous vegetation in your area from your local council's environment officer, an indigenous nursery if there is one in your area or a Landcare or environment/bush care group. Otherwise, if you post your location I'll stick my nose in my native plant books & see what I can find.
Before planting Eucalypts in your garden make sure the roots won't interfere with power lines, underground pipes or gas mains. Don't plant too close to your house & ensure your neighbours' interests are catered for, too.
Sorry. I should have put where I'm located, I'm in North Central Victoria. The cockatoos only stick around for a few weeks and then leave and I'm wondering if they just stop off on their way north to destroy these couple of trees.
North Central Victoria
The more of those trees (or their local equivalent) you have in your area the wider the dispersal of the "damage" will be. In any case, the "damage" might be seen as pruning which might benefit the trees although cars parked beneath them might not appreciate the bombardment from above.
Some of the Eucalyptus species that grow naturally in North Central Victoria are
Red Box Eucalyptus polyanthemos
Yellow Box E. melliodora
Red Ironbark E. sideroxylon
Red Stringybark E. macrorhyncha
Narrow-leaved Peppermint E. radiata
These are all tall trees so you'd need to be mindful of just where you were planting them. But they will, in time, attract a goodly variety of wildlife.
By the way, have you had identified the car park trees to which the Gang Gang Cockatoos are attracted?
No I haven't identified the tree, I was going to grab a couple of bits off the ground that the cockatoos had removed and take them into the nursery. They are not overly tall trees, it's has a small amount of flowers on it and also attracts musk lorikeets.
When I was younger I remember they used to also frequent a tree on a friends property (and poo all over the tyre swing) but it looked nothing like a eucalyptus, it actually reminded me of a wattle from memory.
North Central Victoria
Hi bibby,
If the trees you are wanting identification on are eucalypts, you would be best to provide (if possible):
Good luck with it, and that's a super idea to provide more of whta the birds are using.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
Often Gang Gangs aren't eating the tree itself but breaking open branches to get at the grubs inside. It isn't easy to get this sort of thing on purpose, the birds will just decide they want to attack a few trees and it will be hard to attract them to other trees. If you really want some Gang Gangs plant some hawthorns.
Hawthorns are declared noxious weeds in some areas where they are illegal to plant.
That said I've never seen a native plant Gang-gangs are as keen on as they are on Hawthorns. They are also fond of some Cotoneaster and Pyracantha species which are related to Hawthorns.
I wonder if planting Hawthorns would take Gang Gang Cockatoos away from performing their ecological functions, one of which might well be protecting native trees by extracting borers. Another might be pruning to produce new growth on native trees. So often we plant introduced vegetation without knowing what the consequences will be for natural ecosystems.
There is truth in what you say Woko, however on the other side of the coin Gang gangs have lost a lot of forest that is their natural habitat, so a food source like hawthorns can help make up for the lost habitat. I find that Gang Gangs and other parrots prune off a lot of flowers from Eucalypts, thus reducing forest regeneration. In an intact forest this wouldn't be significant, but in remnant bushland this can really limit the speed of bush regeneration.
The Gang-gangs in the sporadic visits to my house always spent time in the Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), Black Wattles (Acacia mearnsii), Banksia spinulosa and Hakea salicifolia and there was always a lot of foliage on the ground during and after their visits. The Hakea produced a lot of seedlings so I would not recommend that one. I had mostly Eucalyptus obliqua on this property but I do not remember seeing them in those trees. Beautiful birds!
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
So why would you replace natural bushland with Hawthorns rather than the food-providing original species, Greg?
I get them here in Selby, Dandenong Ranges. They love the seedpods of our liquidambers. And the yellow-tailed cockatoos love the seedpods of the hakea.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Kathie, would you suggest that bibby plants liquid ambers in preference to indigenous Eucalypts?
Where we live in the Dandenong Ranges there are a mix of indigenous trees and bushes and also deciduous trees. We have eucalypts on our property but I know that the Gang Gangs tend to prefer the liquidambers and spend weeks in them during Autumn and early winter. Our liquidambers are advanced trees and have been there for many years.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Just to give you an idea. This was taken a few weeks ago in our garden. He and his partner would visit late afternoon every day.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
I found in the Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds that Gang Gang Cockatoos feed on the seeds of native trees & shrubs including eucalypts, acacias & cypress pine. However, they've become fond of the seeds of introduced species such as hawthorn, cupressus & other conifers so they play a role in the spread of feral plants which wreck Australian bushland.
A beautiful pic Kathiemt of a beautiful Bird!!
bibby - Gang Gangs, Rosellas and some Lorikeets love the unripened seeds of many Acacias so my recommendation would be in line with Qyn's:
Acacia melanoxylon
Acacia mearnsii
Acacia dealbata
Acacia implexa
Acacia pycnantha (Australia's floral emblem)
Most of these, if not all of them, should be indigenous to you area and be available from your nearest indigenous nursery.
Good luck!!