Artificial nests provide housing for threatened cockatoos in Hong Kong

Biologist Astrid Andersson and conservationist Harry Wong launched the HK Cockatoo Watch project to provide housing for yellow-crested cockatoos in Hong Kong.

The project addresses a housing crisis for the birds after storms and tree pruning destroyed more than 60 percent of their natural nesting cavities in local trees. The team adapted Australian prototypes into artificial nests made of PVC pipes to withstand the humid climate of Hong Kong.

They equipped these nests with internal cameras to monitor the reproductive behavior of the birds from a distance. Since March 2025, the researchers have installed 15 nests in public parks and school campuses, including St. Louis School and ISF Academy. The local population of about 200 cockatoos remains stable due to legal protection and a lack of natural predators.

Researchers believe these urban birds maintain high genetic diversity, which could help restore wild populations in Indonesia and Timor-Leste where fewer than 2000 individuals remain. Currently, four of the 15 installed nests are occupied by cockatoo pairs.