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Galah

(Cacatua roseicapilla)
Alternative names: "Rose-breasted Cockatoo", "Willie-willock", "Willock"
Aboriginal names: "galah", "gilaa" [gamilaraay, yuwaalaraay], "kalemji"
Size: 35-38 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

Galahs populate large parts of the Australian continent, including parts of Tasmania. On the mainland they are found anywhere but the tip of Cape York, a narrow coastal strip in the Kimberleys, the south coast of WA and the most arid part of the continent, from the Nullarbor to south of the Kimberleys and part of the central NT. In WA and parts of the centre race "roseicapillus" is found. In the south-east, to about central QLD, race "albiceps" is found and race "kuhli" populates the tropical north.

Galahs can be found in a variety of habitats, from open forest to open scrub, grassland - often also in semi-arid environments. They are usually found wherever there are seeds available, from grass seeds to commercial crops. Since they can adapt well to the presence of humans, they are also often found in urban parks.

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

Frontal view of a Galah (subspecies "albiceps")

Frontal view of a Galah on a very hot day...

... here with its head turned

Lateral view of an adult Galah

Dorsal view of a Galah

Galah displaying its crest

Pair of Galahs in flight

Here three birds in flight

Flock of Galahs (subspecies "albiceps") in flight

Direct comparison of a mature Galah, right, and a fledgling, left; note the different colour patterns - the young bird has a lot more grey in its plumage; the eyerings are also different

Two fledgling Galahs just out of their nest

Another fledgling Galah

Portrait of the same bird as above

Again the same bird, now clambering to a vantage point from which to launch itself into the wind and fly away ; note the short tail typical of all fledgling birds

This young Galah was just learning how to feed itself; most of the time it still spent in a tree screeching to be fed

Ruffled young Galah after a hefty shower; the local animal rescue team helped it until it had dried up, eaten and flown away again

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

Here a young Galah being groomed by one of its parents

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Nov Eggs: 3 - 6 Incubation period: 24 days Fledging age: 42 - 49 days

The breeding season depends significantly on geographical latitude. In the northern tropics Galahs breed Feb - May; given the right conditions, Galah can breed any time of the year. Cockatoos are sociable creatures which often nest in loose colonies, also in conjunction with other species.

Nest

Type: Tree hollow Material: Leafy twigs, leaves Height above ground: 2 - 20 m

Galahs, like most other parrots and cockatoos, nest in holes of hollow tree trunks.

Galah guarding its nesting hollow

Here another one sitting on the "doorstep"

Fledgling Galah peeking out of its nest hole

Eggs

Size: 36 x 26 mm Colour: White Shape: Rounded

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive Elementary unit: Flock

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

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).

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

Food

Like basically all cockatoos, Galahs are seed-eaters, where seeds include those in cones and nut-like fruit, for example those of Acacea Salicina (see below).

Just like Little Corellas, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Red-winged Parrots, Galahs eat the fruit of Acacia Salicina

Here a Galah feeding on grass seeds

This photo shows that Galahs, although mainly seed-eaters, do also feed on foliage if there are no seeds to be found in wintertime

Lateral view of a Galah feeding on a lawn

Dorsal view of a Galah feeding on a lawn