The Red Crown Still Shines

I was inspired by the Gang-gang Cockatoo because its bright red head looks beautiful and brave against its dark-grey feathers. While learning about this bird, I discovered that only the adult male has a red head and crest. The female is mostly grey. In my artwork, the bird is sitting quietly in a forest surrounded by fire, smoke and burnt trees. Even though its home is in danger, its red crown still shines brightly. The Gang-gang Cockatoo is an endangered Australian bird and the bird emblem of the Australian Capital Territory. It needs large, old trees with deep hollows in which to lay its eggs and raise its chicks. These hollows can take many years to form. Bushfires, land clearing and the loss of old trees leave the birds with fewer safe places to nest. The Black Summer bushfires burned a large part of their habitat. To me, this bird represents courage and hope. We can care for forests, plant native trees and protect old hollow-bearing trees so that Gang-gang Cockatoos can continue to live in the wild. We can also support firefighters because they help protect animals, people and their homes from bushfires.