Please don’t feed the cockies

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What seems like harmless fun can be detrimental to our wildlife and to our property.

When you feed cockatoos it teaches them that snacking on wild birdseed and food scraps is much easier than foraging around in the trees all day, like they are meant to do.

Once they are used to being out of their natural habitat and in our urban environment, they stick around. But now instead of digging in the dirt and chewing on seeds and branches, they dig in our bins and chew parts of our houses and property to keep themselves busy.

The damage and destruction isn’t always at the location where they’ve been fed; they are curious and like to explore the neighbourhood for the juiciest timber window frames, crinkliest rubbish and tastiest kerbside bin contents.

So remember:

  • Don’t attract cockatoos to your place (or your neighbourhood) by feeding them.
  • Tell your guests not to feed them either.
  • Put your bins out the night before collection or prior to 5.30am on the day of collection. And bring emptied bins in as soon as possible (within 48 hours after the collection).
  • If your bin has one of the trial bin locks on it, make sure it’s engaged at all times.

Find out more on why we don't feed wildlife.

If you require a printed copy of online information referred to in any story, please call 5261 0600

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