Landscape configuration influences home range size and migratory movements of Carnaby’s cockatoos during the breeding season in fragmented mixed-use landscapes

Context Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the most significant drivers of biodiversity decline worldwide. Therefore, understanding the spatial movements of animals in fragmented landscapes is essential to determine habitat protection priorities. Objectives We aimed to investigate how variation in landscape configuration affects the home range size of breeding Carnaby’s cockatoos (CC) ( Zanda latirostris ), an endangered species facing multiple threats to their survival. Methods We quantified home range size and seasonal movements of breeding CC at five different breeding sites, and calculated home range overlap between birds at the same sites. We then calculated landscape metrics for each site and used linear regression to investigate how variation in landscape configuration and fragmentation affects home range size. Results There was significant home range overlap between birds at the same sites, however home range size varied across sites. CC had smaller home range estimates at sites that were less fragmented than those that were highly fragmented and dominated by agriculture, highlighting the impact that land clearing has had on the movement of this species. It was also evident at fragmented sites, that small often degraded patches of native vegetation were providing functional connectivity, enabling the persistence of breeding flocks in highly fragmented areas. Conclusions These results demonstrate the importance of retaining both small and large habitat patches to facilitate animal movement in fragmented landscapes, and that landscape context and configuration are important considerations for conservation management.