Among the endangered species is the helmeted parrot, the symbol of Australia’s capital Canberra, Australia’s ABC News reported.
Australia’s environment minister, Susan Lee, has sent an email to the local government in the Australian capital to restore the endangered status of the gray-feathered cockatoos, which lives only in Canberra.
Rebecca Vassaruti, the environment minister for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), told ABC News that while she is sad that the move has become necessary, she is also pleased with the announcement as it draws attention to protecting species.
According to eBird, the helmeted cockatoo is a small type of cockatoo that is only found in southeastern Australia. The plumage is grayish-green and the heads of the males are bright red. Their voices sound like a creaking door. The Guardian wrote that the helmeted cockatoo is the most common bird in Canberra, in suburban back gardens and in the city’s nature reserves.
The condition of many endangered animals due to the devastating bushfires in Australia in 2019 and 2020. The koala was listed in the Red List in February. Just as wildfires affected 36 percent of helmet parrots’ habitat, this bird was also endangered.
Professor Sarah Legge estimated in 2021 that the number of these species could decline by 69 percent as their numbers began declining earlier due to climate change.
The status of the helmeted cockatoo as endangered means that the government needs to consider the impact of public investment on the species. Holly Parsons, Director of the Urban Birding Project at BirdLife, stressed that the government needs to step in to better protect these bird species and the native forests that provide them with vital nesting sites.
(The Guardian/MTI)
