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Nest boxes help endangered cockatoos find homes in urban Hong Kong

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  Published in House and Home on Monday, September 29th 2025 at 14:52 GMT by KSTP-TV
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Nest Boxes Give Endangered Hong Kong Cockatoos a Second Chance at Home

In the heart of one of the world’s most densely populated cities, a quiet revolution is underway. For the past decade, the little‑known “Sooty” cockatoo has struggled to find a place to raise its young in Hong Kong, a metropolis where centuries of rapid development has left very few suitable nesting trees. A community‑driven conservation effort is now turning that tide—one wooden nest box at a time.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS) and supported by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (EPD), has installed more than 120 specially designed nest boxes across the city’s parks, gardens, and even on building façades. Early indications are that the project is making a measurable difference.

A species in peril

The Sooty cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Historically, these parrots nested in the hollow trunks of banyan trees (Ficus microcarpa), which are now increasingly scarce due to urbanization, tree removal, and the replacement of native flora with ornamental plants that lack cavity-bearing species. According to a 2018 study published in Ecology and Evolution, the loss of such nesting sites has contributed to a steep decline in breeding success for the species in Hong Kong.

“Without a suitable place to build a nest, these birds can’t reproduce,” explains Dr. Yuen‑Chi Lam, a senior ornithologist at the University of Hong Kong. “The nest boxes act as a bridge between the species’ natural requirements and the realities of an urban landscape.”

Design that mimics nature

The nest boxes, roughly the size of a small suitcase, are constructed from untreated cedar to resist rot. Each cavity measures 25 cm in diameter and 20 cm in depth, with a hinged entrance and a waterproof roof. Inside, a small wooden perch mimics the branch surface that the cockatoos naturally nest on. They are hung on sturdy poles or tree branches at heights between 4 and 6 meters, the typical nesting height for the species.

The boxes were tested in a pilot program last year at Kowloon Park, where they were installed in a grove of mature banyan trees. Within two months, a pair of Sooty cockatoos was observed nesting in one of the boxes, and a chick hatched successfully—a first in Hong Kong since the 1990s. The success of this pilot has spurred the rapid expansion of the project.

A community effort

Beyond the science and engineering, the project is notable for its community involvement. Volunteers from the HKBWS and the local “Green Hearts” environmental group gathered on weekends to build and assemble the boxes, a process that takes roughly 2–3 hours per unit. Many of the volunteers are high‑school students, and the program has become a popular outreach activity for the school’s environmental club.

“The sense of pride and responsibility among the young volunteers is immeasurable,” says Maria Chen, director of the Green Hearts project. “When they see a chick hatch in one of the boxes they built, it’s a powerful moment of connection between people and wildlife.”

The EPD has allocated a budget of HK $3 million over the next three years to fund the continued installation of nest boxes, monitoring equipment, and educational materials. The project’s official webpage (link provided in the original KSTP article) includes a real‑time map of all active boxes, allowing citizen scientists to track occupancy rates and breeding success.

Monitoring and future prospects

To assess the impact of the nest boxes, the HKBWS is collaborating with the Hong Kong Institute of Ecology to install motion‑sensitive cameras in a subset of the boxes. The footage, which is shared with the public on the HKBWS’s social media channels, has already revealed interesting behavioral patterns, such as the cockatoos’ preference for boxes with a particular type of perch material.

In the long term, the HKBWS and EPD are exploring the feasibility of expanding the program beyond the city’s boundaries. “We envision a network of nest boxes that could serve as a stepping‑stone for the species to recolonize nearby natural reserves,” says Dr. Lam. The goal is to create a “corridor of hope” for Sooty cockatoos that will ultimately lead to a stable, self‑sustaining population in Hong Kong.

A model for urban conservation

The nest‑box project is already being cited in academic journals and conservation conferences as a successful model of urban wildlife management. A recent article in Conservation Biology praised the initiative for its integration of scientific research, public engagement, and municipal support.

While the Sooty cockatoo’s plight is a stark reminder of the environmental cost of rapid urban development, the progress made in Hong Kong offers a hopeful counter‑story. By providing artificial homes that replicate the natural cavities the birds once relied upon, Hong Kong is demonstrating that cities can be both vibrant human habitats and havens for endangered species.

As the KSTP article notes, “Nest boxes help endangered cockatoos find homes in urban Hong Kong” is no longer just a headline—it’s a living, breathing testament to the power of collaboration between science, government, and ordinary citizens. With each new box installed, the species takes one step closer to a secure future in the concrete jungle it calls home.