MONITORING of Cacatua sulphurea abbotti POPULATION IN MASAKAMB1NG ISLAND, INDONESIA

Abstract

The Critically Endangered Casatua sulphurea abbotti is a unique subspecies of cockatoo, endemic to a single tiny Masakambing Island io Indonesia. Data procurement on the status and distribution of their wild population is necessarily urgent in order to determine the best conservation strategy for this species. Data were collected annually fiotti 2008-2018 by a direct roost count method in a roosting tree. Only 10 cockatoos -were recorded in 2008, but the number continually increased up to 22 birds in. 2018 (42.86% increase in a decade). The population was distributed in about 71% of die total sise of the Island, concentrated in the north-western. part with & density of 156 (≈ 2 birds/km2) in 2008 which raised up to 3.44 (≈ 3 birds/km3) in 2018, The zero trapplog policy enforced by die local government was probably effective in preventing die population detune, although the population is still vulnerable due to nesting failure, presumably low genetic quality and habitat destruction.