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GalahAlternative names: "Rose-breasted Cockatoo", "Willie-willock", "Willock" Aboriginal names: "galah", "gilaa" [gamilaraay, yuwaalaraay], "kalemji" |
Sightings
Galahs are found in large numbers all over the continent, including the Narrabri region. They normally appear in flocks of a few up to hundreds at a time to feed on seeds on the ground.
Seen by us also on a trip to outback NSW and South Australia in March 2008, basically everywhere we went.
Young Galahs fledged in 2007 around mid-November, much later than the young of other species, such as e.g. Magpie-larks or Australian Magpies, both of which had their young out of the nests by mid-October, while the first batch of Welcome Swallows was already gone by mid-September.
Photos
Galah (subspecies "albiceps") on a dead tree branch (click on image for larger version)
Galah on an antenna of the Australia Telescope Compact Array telescope (click on image for larger version)
Galah displaying its crest (click on image for larger version)
Pair of Galahs in flight (click on image for larger version)
Flock of Galahs (subspecies "albiceps") in flight (click on image for larger version)
Two fledgling Galahs just out of their nest (click on image for larger version)
Another fledgling Galah (click on image for larger version)
Portrait of the same bird as above (click on image for larger version)
Again the same bird, now clambering to a vantage point from which to launch itself into the wind and fly away (click on image for larger version); note the short tail typical of all fledgling birds
Ruffled young Galah after a hefty shower; the local animal rescue team helped it until it had dried up, eaten and flown away again (click on image for larger version)
Fledgling Galah being fed by one of its parents; the young begging for food sound almost like a donkey's call. To make the parent regurgitate food, the young thrust their bill forward repeatedly in noisy, jerky motions (click on image for larger version)
Just like Little Corellas, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Red-winged Parrots, Galahs eat the fruit of Acacia Salicina (click on image for larger version)
Nest
Galahs, like most other parrots and cockatoos, nest in holes of hollow tree trunks.
Fledgling Galah peeking out of its nesthole
Habits
Near sunrise and sunset Galahs form organised flocks careening through the sky, at low altitude, with enormous speed and agility.
Like all seedeaters Galahs spend a lot of time on the ground, foraging in large flocks of up to hundreds, see photo below.
Where there is good tucker, there will be lots of Galahs (click on image for larger version)
Often seen by us together with Little Corellas and/or Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in flocks of up to hundreds, especially where there is plenty of food (e.g. near olive groves or grain storage facilities).
This photo shows that Galahs, although mainly seed-eaters, do also feed on foliage if there are no seeds to find in wintertime (click on image for larger version)
Also sometimes seen by us to hassle raptors. They don't swoop on the larger birds, but annoy them by accompanying them in a flock, attracting everybody's attention in the process (see photo below).
Flock of Galahs pestering a Whistling Kite (click on image for larger version)