From 1977 to 1983, Graeme Smith of the CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology studied the breeding ecology of the western long-billed corella in that State's wheatbelt. His research revealed that this species suffers from what could seem an alarmingly high degree of marital instability. Corellas, like galahs and red-tailed black cockatoos, have adapted well to large-scale agricultural development in the south-west of Western Australia. Dr Smith concentrated on a study area centred on Burakin. It contained a fairly stable breeding population of about 40 breeding corellas, with a larger group of locally nomadic immature birds.