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Entry 509Filed under Breeding

How to Keep Cockatoos Out of Your Garden Without Harming Them

Protect the plants cockatoos target with wildlife-safe barriers, remove food attractants, and treat visual deterrents as options to test—not guaranteed fixes.
3-minute read By Animalso Team
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Protect the plants cockatoos are damaging rather than trying to make your whole garden hostile. Remove food attractants, then use safe physical barriers for vulnerable fruit or vegetables. Deterrents such as shiny objects may help in a particular spot, but their results vary and they need to be monitored.

Start by identifying what the cockatoos are damaging

Cockatoos may target fruit, seedlings, timber, or other garden features, and the right response depends on what they can reach. Check what is being eaten or damaged before choosing a method; not all damage to a tree or garden feature is necessarily caused by cockatoos. The Victorian Conservation Regulator’s guidance covers sulphur-crested cockatoos, long-billed corellas, and galahs under its collective use of “cockatoos” (Cockatoo, corella and galah wildlife management methods, published 22 May 2024).

Remove food attractants

  • Do not feed cockatoos, and ask neighbours to avoid feeding them if that is drawing birds to the area.
  • Secure food scraps and clean up accessible food where relevant.

Removing easy food sources can make the garden less attractive, though it will not physically protect fruit that is already accessible. The Conservation Regulator and Sutherland Shire Council both advise against feeding cockatoos (Sutherland Shire Council’s cockatoo guidance; publication date not stated).

Choose a barrier that fits the plant

Net fruiting plants with wildlife-safe netting

For fruit or vegetables that can be covered, exclusion netting directly protects the crop. The Victorian Conservation Regulator describes it as the most effective method for reducing damage to fruit crops where damage occurs, while noting that cost and practical site conditions can limit its use. A whole-tree cover is not always necessary: protecting a smaller section may be more manageable.

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In Victoria, Agriculture Victoria says netting used for household fruit trees, vegetable gardens, or other fruiting plants must have mesh no larger than 5 mm × 5 mm at full stretch. That is a Victoria-specific rule, not a nationwide specification. Agriculture Victoria also recommends white netting, strand diameter greater than 500 microns or cross-weave construction, tight attachment to the trunk or frame, and daily checks. White netting is more visible to nocturnal animals; avoid assuming that generic large-hole bird netting is safe. See Agriculture Victoria’s “Use of fruit netting – harvest without harm” (last updated 17 September 2026).

  1. Check local requirements and the product’s mesh size at full stretch before buying.
  2. Choose visible white netting with the recommended strand or cross-weave construction.
  3. Pull the netting taut and secure it to the trunk or frame so birds and other wildlife cannot get underneath.
  4. Inspect it every day for entanglement, remove it when it is no longer needed, and dispose of old netting carefully.

Bag a few fruit clusters

If only a few branches or clusters need protection, fruit bags or sleeves can be an alternative to covering the entire tree. The Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action lists them as an option for protecting fruiting plants; its guidance does not compare their cost or performance with netting. See Wildlife and fruit trees (last updated 6 May 2026).

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Try non-lethal deterrents for exposed spots

For vulnerable plants or places where cockatoos land, Sutherland Shire Council lists a quick spray of water, shiny moving objects, a scarecrow or raptor-shaped kite, and fishing line across landing areas as possible deterrents. These options do not directly shield a crop, and no one device is established as a reliable solution for every garden. The Conservation Regulator cautions that scaring methods have differing success and should be varied and monitored because cockatoos are intelligent.

  • Use a deterrent only where it is appropriate for the site, and watch whether it changes the birds’ behavior.
  • Move or vary visual devices rather than relying on one fixed object indefinitely.
  • Consider neighbours before using noisy methods.
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Check local wildlife rules before actively disturbing birds

In Victoria, sulphur-crested cockatoos, long-billed corellas, and galahs are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. The Conservation Regulator says wilful disturbance or destruction requires approval. Sutherland Shire Council also describes cockatoos as protected in its local guidance. Rules differ by location and by action, so check the requirements where you live before using methods intended to harass, trap, or move birds. Victoria’s legal provisions should not be treated as rules for all of Australia.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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