On a Wing and a Prayer - ABC Commercial

Tasks and extension activities1. CREATE A FLOCK OF COCKIES.Based on freeze frames from the documentary, drawcockies in flight on A4 sheets of paper, colour themblack with white tail patches and cut them out. Stickthem on the classroom wall – protect your flock!http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Flying-Yellow-tailed-Black-cockatoo2. COCKATOOS AS PETS:Several species of cockatoos are kept as pets.They are demanding and long-lived, not to betaken into the family lightly. But they are bright,intelligent, humorous and easy to tame.Which species of cockatoo are commonly keptas pets? What are their special requirements?Are black cockatoos kept as pets at all? Would alicence be required if you wanted to keep one?3. WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC THREATS TO THECARNABY’S COCKATOO HABITAT?Prepare a report on the habitats required by thebird and the human impact on both the winterbreeding grounds and summer feeding grounds.Are these impacts more significant than otherthreats like cars, poachers and shooters?4. FRAGMENTATION:The development of wheat lands in WA has causedfragmentation of the nesting areas of the cockatoos.The available sites have been broken up into ‘islands’with little food available nearby. This is a typicalsurvival problem for native species in all parts of theworld. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation or poster onthe problem of habitat fragmentation, with referenceto terms like ‘islands’ and ‘corridors’. Explain whythe conservation of species in isolated fragments ofnatural environment is difficult and often impossible.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_fragmentation5. WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF AWILDLIFE OFFICER LIKE RICK DAWSON?WHAT POWERS DOES A WILDLIFE OFFICERLIKE RICK HAVE? IF HE CAUGHT THESHOOTERS, WHAT COULD HE DO?http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/wa/consol_act/wca1950236/s20.htmlRick has a background in the defence forces ratherthan an academic background. What are the usualrequirements for a career as a wildlife officer? Investigatethe requirements in your school’s careers room withparticular reference to your state. What would you needto do to work in the area of wildlife conservation?6. Some of the rescued cockatoos develop ‘parrotfever’ or psittacosis, a form of chlamydia. This is aserious disease that is zoonotic – meaning it canaffect humans as well as other animals. It is oneof the reasons that international trade in parrots isseverely restricted. Investigate and report on thedisease, including other forms of chlamydia thataffect humans and animals, such as the Koala.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psittacosis7. WHY DO POACHERS TARGET COCKATOOS AND STEALTHEIR EGGS TO SMUGGLE OUT OF AUSTRALIA?Australia does not permit the export of live nativemammals, amphibians, reptiles or birds for commercialpurposes. This includes cockatoos. Cockatoos can beworth thousands of dollars in Asia or the USA. Thereis a huge illegal trade in live birds and fertile eggs.The trade in vulnerable species like Carnaby’scockatoo is regulated by CITES – the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species. Australiahas been a signatory to this global agreementsince 1976, although many countries are not. Thedetails are available at .Prepare a report on how CITES works. Identify someof the signature species from the CITES list. How longhas each been protected? Also investigate some ofthe less common species, animals and plants that areunknown to you. Are some plants, such as orchids atparticular risk from illegal international trafficking?SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 20116