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Size and Weight: Length is approximately 35 cm (13 inches),
wingspan about 53 cm (20 inches) and weight up to 350-400 gms
(almost 1 lb.).
Diet: The Galah's diet consists of seeds, grains, roots,
green shoots, leaf buds, fruits, and insects. They will also forage
in farm fields and even raid grain stocks.
Habitat and Distribution: The Rose-breasted Cockatoo is
the most widespread of all the Australian parrots. It lives along
water courses in the arid inland and Eucalyptus woodlands of Australia.
It has also colonized open country including suburban parks and
gardens, but prefers to remain below 1250 meters in eucalypt forests,
savannah woodlands and open grasslands.
Status in the Wild: The Rose-breasted Cockatoo has expanded
its range since the European settlement. It is now extremely common
all over Australia. The name "Galah" is actually a derogatory
term in Australia, indicating the feeling many native people have
for this bird which has become a pest in some areas due to its
large numbers. Considered vermin by many locals, this parrot is
one of the most expensive of all the cockatoos outside of Australia.
Habits and Adaptations: Rose-breasted Cockatoos tend to
congregate in small to extremely large (several hundred birds)
flocks. They spend a lot of time feeding on the ground in the
morning or late afternoon. During the hottest part of the day
they will sit in a tree or bush and strip away leaves and bark,
sometimes killing the plant. In the evening they perform loud
and dramatic aerobatic flights around the roosting trees, diving
and screeching through the trees. Their flight is reminiscent
of a falcons, with long pointed wings and fast wingbeats. Flocks
in flight are an impressive sight to see and hear.
Breeding and Maturation: Courtship begins in June-November
in the north and August-January in the south and consists mostly
of aerobatic displays and allopreening. The nest is formed in
a hollow limb or tree-hole, usually a Eucalyptus near water. Two
to five eggs are laid and incubation is about 28 days by both
parents. The young leave the nest about 7-8 weeks after hatching
with continued parental care for another 2-3 weeks. Adult plumage
is gained within the first year.
Lifespan: Rose-breasted Cockatoos are probably capable
of living 30-40 years in captivity.
Conservation Issues: This species causes considerable
damage to agriculture by eating sprouting wheat and attacking
ripening crops and bagged grain. Although they are by no means
endangered they are being killed by the hundreds in some parts
of Australia.
Bibliography
Forshaw, J. 1973. Parrots of the World. Lansdowne Press, Australia.
Slater, P., Slater, P., and Slater, R. 1989. The Slater Field
Guide to Australian Birds. Landsdowne Publishing, Australia.
Photo: by Neil Franey for the Minnesota Zoo
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