Hello, I'm Erika (@_erikaroper)! I work on conserving threatened species in New South Wales, Australia. I’m also working on finishing my PhD on Black-cockatoos in Western Australia.

My PhD research is on the urbanisation of the Forest Red-tailed Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii naso) in Perth, Western Australia. While often seen in the Perth metro area these days, Red-tailed Black-cockatoos are only recent arrivals into the city. I have been looking at the why and how of their move into the city, with a focus on their diet, foraging ecology, and landscape use.

I completed my Bachelors of Science at the Univeristy of Sydney and my Honours research project at Deakin University, where I looked at vocal variation in the piping call of the Crimson Rosella species complex (Platycercus elegans).

I am passionate about parrots (can you tell?), conservation, urban ecology, animal behaviour, and science communication. More recently my work has involved threatened orchids and other plant species, as well as animals like the Little Whip Snake and Gang-gang Cockatoos.

I have lived and worked all over Australia, and have also studied in the United States, Peru, and Kenya.

Please get in touch if you have any questions! I’m most easily found on Twitter, where I spend far too much time.

Photos copyright Erika Roper unless otherwise indicated.