Large flocks of corellas can be a nuisance due to the large amount of noise when congregated at feed and roost sites, and droppings can foul recreational, public, and domestic areas. They cause damage to local sports fields and parks when digging for bulbs and roots, and damage trees and cables through natural branch trimming and biting behaviours when roosting.

Introduced Corellas are becoming an increasing problem on the lower Swan Coastal Plain, including the Bunbury area. Little Corellas (Cacatua sanguinea sanguinea) and Eastern Long-billed Corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris) are both invasive species known to be destructive, noisy, and out compete local native species for food and roosting habitat e.g., Western Ringtail Possum and Black Cockatoos.

The damage caused by Little Corellas is seasonal and occurs from late October through to July depending on the season. It is not uncommon to find flocks of between 200-500 birds within the City during this time, impacting infrastructure, the environment and community.

Little Corellas are a Category 3 Declared Pest under the WA Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 and land holders (City of Bunbury) are required to undertake measures to reduce their impact.

The City’s Little Corella management program has been active since 2010. In 2018, the City prepared an Introduced Corella Management Strategy to guide and unify management efforts within the Greater Bunbury Region. As the City remains focused on management efforts to minimise the adverse impacts caused by Little Corellas, the City has revised the 2018 strategy to form the 2021/2022 Little Corella Management Plan.

Little Corella Management Plan is a combination of existing and new techniques that have not yet been trialled within the City. Using a variety of techniques is necessary to address the adaptability of Corellas to control mechanisms.

The combination of techniques outlined in the 2021/2022 Little Corella Management Plan are:

• Trapping events at the City control sites.

• Shooting when trapping is not possible at the control site.

• Increased deterrence efforts within urban areas using Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) approved dispersal techniques - the implementation of scare kites within Queens Gardens, Horseshoe Lake and the CBD and firing of blanks within licensed areas

• Investigating the feasibility of flight path and movement tracking to outline roosting locations

• Identify opportunities to collaborate with neighbouring LGAs.

• Provide community advice/education on deterrence and dispersal mechanisms that can be undertaken on private property.

• Continue to identify suitable control sites within the Greater Bunbury Region

All control and dispersal activities are undertaken under licence and in accordance with relevant legislation. No poison is or can be used. Control measures undertaken are done so as a last resort and are implemented to reduce the pest corella population to levels that are ecologically sustainable.

The damage caused by Little Corellas is seasonal, mainly occurring from late October through to July (depending on the season). This is when management actions are implemented.

Due to the size and distribution of the introduced corella (Little Corella) population in the south west, management of the birds is likely to be an ongoing issue for foreseeable future.

Eradication of the Corella population is not realistic. Management actions aim to reduce the impacts on community during the season when Corellas are arriving to feed and roost in Bunbury.

Control techniques fall into three categories, population reduction, deterrence/dispersal and habitat modification. The limitations of these control techniques are outlined in the table below.  

If you/your property is impacted by Corellas or you have knowledge of local flock feeding or roosting sites, please let us know via the interactive map and or poll on the Corella Management Program page .

 Your input will support the City to gain a better understanding of key feed sites, roost sites, potential control sites, and movement patterns to assist with future control efforts.

There are a range of measures you can take to reduce the number of Corellas on your property, and decrease potential damage/destruction they may cause:

• Protect or cover any open water sources that might attract Corellas;
• Remove bird feeders and refrain from handfeeding all birds;
• Place netting on any fruit trees or large trees that may be used for roosting;
• Make noise to move any Corellas away and disrupt roosting (e.g. blowing a whistle, “shooing”, tapping tree trunks, using clap boards, downloading a bird repellent sound app). Please consider your neighbours if using noise as a deterrent;
• Shine a bright light or torch into roosting flocks at night as they arrive and are beginning to settle; and
• Plant native species that are not favourable to Corellas.

As of 1 January 2019, the Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2018 came into effect. Under this new legislation it is an offence to feed fauna unless that person has lawful authority to feed it. Penalties may apply which includes a modified infringement of $400.00 (individual).

Feeding native fauna such as corellas and galahs, results in an unusual number of fauna (birds) visiting an area. The unusual increase in numbers of birds causes destruction to nearby homes, gardens and vehicles.

The City of Bunbury has a Corella Management Program in place to control the increasing populations of the introduced corellas within the City of Bunbury area. As these birds often build up in urban areas, we are asking the community to help deter/disperse them from roosting or feeding within their properties.

Removing bird feeders and refraining from handfeeding all birds would assist in reducing the impact these birds are causing.

Though we appreciate feeding of wildlife including native birds  is often done with good intention, feeding wildlife upsets the balance of nature. Feeding native birds affects their diet and ability to acquire food themselves. Learn more and access information on the negative impacts on feeding wildlife and on how to attract wildlife without feeding via the links provided on the Corella Management Program page.