The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Eolophus'' of the
cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the orde ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
. Found throughout
Australia, it is among the most common of the cockatoos.
With its distinctive pink and grey plumage and its bold and loud behaviour, it is a familiar sight in the wild and increasingly in urban areas. It has benefited from the change in the landscape since European colonisation, and appears to be replacing the
Major Mitchell's cockatoo
Major Mitchell's cockatoo (''Lophochroa leadbeateri''), also known as Leadbeater's cockatoo or the pink cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo that inhabits arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia, though it is seen regularly in other climat ...
in parts of its range.
Etymology
The term galah is derived from ''gilaa'', a word from the
Yuwaalaraay and neighbouring
Aboriginal languages Aboriginal language may refer to:
* Indigenous language
* Australian Aboriginal languages
* Taiwanese aboriginal languages
* Indigenous languages of the Americas
* Aboriginal Malay languages
The Malayic languages are a branch of the Malayo-P ...
spoken in north-western
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
Description
The galah is about in length, and weighs . It has a pale silver to grey back, a pale grey rump, a pink face and breast, and a light pink mobile
crest
Crest or CREST may refer to:
Buildings
*The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York
*"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York
*Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...
. It has a bone-coloured beak, and the bare skin of the eye ring is
carunculated. It has grey legs. The sexes appear similar; however, adult birds differ in the colour of the
irises; the male has very dark brown (almost black) irises and the female has mid-brown or red irises. Adults are more brightly coloured than juveniles. Juveniles have a greyish breast, crown, and crest, and brown irises with whitish non-carunculated eye rings.
[Forshaw (2006). plate 3."]
File:Galah-female-sa.jpg, Female (note the reddish iris)
File:Eolophus roseicapilla.jpg, A juvenile galah feeding on a metropolitan lawn in Sydney
File:Eolophus roseicapilla -Wamboin, NSW, Australia -juvenile-8.jpg, Juvenile in Wamboin, New South Wales
Wamboin is a rural-residential area in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in the County of Murray, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council LGA. It is approximately 16 kilometres north-east of the Australian city of Canberra.
...
Distribution and habitat
The galah can be found throughout Australia, and is absent only from the driest areas and the far north of
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupació ...
. The galah has been introduced to Tasmania through anthropogenic means and there were no sightings prior to 1848. A large population expansion occurred in the 1960s following many escapees from captivity. It is common in metropolitan areas such as
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
, and
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, and abundant in open habitats that offer at least some scattered trees for shelter. It is common in all habitats in its range except for dense forests, especially those with high rainfall.
While it is mostly found in inland areas, the galah is rapidly colonising coastal regions.
The changes brought by
European settlement, which have been disastrous for many species, have been highly beneficial for the galah, because of the clearing of forests in fertile areas and the provision of stock-watering points in arid zones.
Classification
The classification of the galah was difficult. It was separated in the
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...
genus ''Eolophus'', but the further relationships were not clear. Obvious morphological similarities are shared between the galah and the white cockatoos that make up the genus ''
Cacatua
''Cacatua'' is a genus of cockatoos found from the Philippines and Wallacea east to the Solomon Islands and south to Australia. They have a primarily white plumage (in some species tinged pinkish or yellow), an expressive crest, and a black (s ...
'' and indeed the galah was initially described as ''Cacatua roseicapilla''. Early
DNA studies allied the galah with the
cockatiel
The cockatiel (; ''Nymphicus hollandicus''), also known as weiro (also spelt weero), or quarrion, is a medium-sized parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as household pets and com ...
or placed it close to some ''Cacatua'' species of completely different appearance. In consequence, the ancestors of the galah, the cockatiel and
Major Mitchell's cockatoo
Major Mitchell's cockatoo (''Lophochroa leadbeateri''), also known as Leadbeater's cockatoo or the pink cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo that inhabits arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia, though it is seen regularly in other climat ...
were thought to have diverged from the main
white cockatoo
The white cockatoo (''Cacatua alba''), also known as the umbrella cockatoo, is a medium-sized all-white cockatoo endemic to tropical rainforest on islands of Indonesia. When surprised, it extends a large and striking head crest, which has a se ...
line at some stage prior to that group's main radiation; this was indeed correct except for the placement of the cockatiel. Ignorance of this fact, however, led to attempts to resolve the evolutionary history and prehistoric
biogeography of the cockatoos, which ultimately proved fruitless because they were based on invalid assumptions to start with.
It fell to the study of Brown & Toft (1999) to compare research and resolve the issue. Today, the galah is seen, along with Major Mitchell's cockatoo, as an early divergence from the white cockatoo lineage, which has not completely lost its ability to produce an overall pink (Major Mitchell's) or pink and grey (galah) body plumage, while already being light in colour and non-sexually dimorphic. The significance of these two (and other) characteristics shared by the Cacatuinae
Subspecies
Three
subspecies are usually recognised. Slight variation exists in the colours of the plumage and in the extent of the
carunculation of the eye rings among the three subspecies. The south-eastern form, ''E. r. albiceps'', is clearly distinct from the paler-bodied
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
n
nominate subspecies, ''E. r. roseicapilla'', although the extent and nature of the central hybrid zone remains undefined. Most pet birds outside Australia are the south-eastern form. The third form, ''E. r. kuhli'', found right across the northern part of the continent, tends to be a little smaller and is distinguished by differences in the shape and colour of the crest, although its status as a valid subspecies is uncertain.
Behaviour
The galah is often found in flocks of 10 to 1,000 individuals. These can be
mixed flocks, the members of which may include
Major Mitchell's cockatoo
Major Mitchell's cockatoo (''Lophochroa leadbeateri''), also known as Leadbeater's cockatoo or the pink cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo that inhabits arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia, though it is seen regularly in other climat ...
, the
little corella
The little corella (''Cacatua sanguinea''), also known as the short-billed corella, bare-eyed cockatoo, blood-stained cockatoo, and little cockatoo is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It was known as ''Birdirra'' amo ...
, and the
sulphur-crested cockatoo
The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...
. The galah readily
hybridizes with all of these species (see below). Flocks of galahs often congregate and forage on the ground for food in open, grassy areas. Flocks of independent juvenile galahs will often disperse from their birth flock haphazardly. The galah feeds on seeds gathered on the ground, mainly feeding in the morning and late afternoon. Idly, it will strip leaves and barks from trees, and large flocks have been observed to kill trees through
defoliation
A defoliant is any herbicidal chemical sprayed or dusted on plants to cause their leaves to fall off. Defoliants are widely used for the selective removal of weeds in managing croplands and lawns. Worldwide use of defoliants, along with the ...
.
Breeding
![Female Galah Outside Nest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Female_Galah_Outside_Nest.jpg)
The galah nests in tree cavities. The eggs are white, usually two to five in a clutch. The eggs are incubated for about 25 days, and the male and female share the incubation. The chicks leave the nest about 49 days after hatching.
Lifespan
Living in captivity, galahs have been recorded reaching up to 72 years of age
when a good-quality diet is strictly followed. They socialise adequately and can engage playfully in entertainment activities to support the overall very intelligent nature of the bird. In their natural habitat, galahs are unlikely to reach the age of 20 years, falling victim to traffic, predators such as the
little eagle
The little eagle (''Hieraaetus morphnoides'') is a very small eagle native to Australia, measuring 45–55 cm (17–21.5 inches) in length and weighing 815 g (1.8 lb), roughly the size of a peregrine falcon. It tends to inhabit open wo ...
and
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
and
peregrine falcons, and human activities in some agricultural areas. Like most other cockatoos, galahs create strong, lifelong bonds with their partners.
Hybrids
The galah readily
hybridizes with several species, including the
sulphur-crested cockatoo
The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...
,
little corella
The little corella (''Cacatua sanguinea''), also known as the short-billed corella, bare-eyed cockatoo, blood-stained cockatoo, and little cockatoo is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It was known as ''Birdirra'' amo ...
,
Major Mitchell's cockatoo
Major Mitchell's cockatoo (''Lophochroa leadbeateri''), also known as Leadbeater's cockatoo or the pink cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo that inhabits arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia, though it is seen regularly in other climat ...
, and the
cockatiel
The cockatiel (; ''Nymphicus hollandicus''), also known as weiro (also spelt weero), or quarrion, is a medium-sized parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as household pets and com ...
. Galah x cockatiel hybrids are often referred to as "galatiels". Aviary-bred hybrids of galah x Major Mitchell's cockatoo have been bred in Sydney, with the tapered wings of the galah and the crest and colours of the Major Mitchell's, as well as the plaintive cry of the latter.
File:Cockatoo hybrid -Flying High Bird Habitat, Australia-8a.jpg, A galah × corella hybrid
File:Galatiel.jpg, Young galatiels
Relationship to humans
In Australia, galahs are considered "unprotected native fauna" and may be shot (without a permit), trapped or gassed (with a permit) by landowners.
Aviculture
The galah is very common as a
companion parrot
A companion parrot is a parrot kept as a pet that interacts abundantly with its human counterpart. Generally, most species of parrot can make excellent companions, but must be carefully managed around other common pet species like dogs and cats a ...
or
avicultural specimen around the world, although generally absent from Australian aviaries,
although permits are available to take a limited number of galahs from the wild per year for avicultural purposes.
When tame, it can be an affectionate and friendly bird that can learn to
talk
Talk may refer to:
Communication
* Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people
* Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people
* Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct
...
, as well as mimic other sounds heard in its environment. While it is a noisy bird that may be unsuitable for apartment living, it is comparatively quieter than other cockatoo species. Like most parrots, the galah requires plenty of exercise and play time out of its cage as well as several hours of daily social interaction with humans or other birds in order to thrive in captivity. It may also be prone to obesity if not provided with a suitable, nutritionally-balanced diet.
The
World Parrot Trust
The World Parrot Trust is an international charity dedicated to saving parrots.
History
When the Trust was founded in 1989 at Paradise Park in Cornwall, UK, it was decided that the main objective was to promote the survival of all parrot specie ...
recommends that captive galahs should be kept in an aviary with a minimum length of 7 metres.
The breeding requirements include the use upright or tilted logs with a hollow some twenty to thirty centimetres in diameter. Sand and finer grades of wood material are used to construct their nest, the availability of
eucalypt
Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia:
''Eucalyptus'', ''Corymbia'', ''Angophora'', '' Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...
leaves for the nest lining is also suggested for captive breeding.
As food
The galah has historically been eaten by humans. Galah meat recipes were published in Australian newspapers in the 1930s, alongside jokes about the alleged toughness and unpalatable nature of the bird's flesh.
Cultural references
"Galah" is also derogatory Australian slang, synonymous with 'fool', 'clown' or 'idiot'. Because of the bird's distinctive bright pink colour, it is also used for gaudy dress. A detailed description of the Australian slang term can be found in the standup comedy performance of
Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan (born 8 October 1939) is an Australian actor and comedian. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance as ...
, titled ''Stand Up Hoges''. Another famous user of the slang "galah" is
Alf Stewart from ''
Home and Away'', who is often heard saying "Flaming galah!" when he is riled by somebody.
The Australian representative team of
footballers
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
that played a series of test matches of
international rules football
International rules football ( ga, Peil na rialacha idirnáisiunta; also known as international rules in Australia and compromise rules or Aussie rules in Ireland) is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed ...
against
Irish sides in the late 1960s adopted the nickname "The Galahs" after a disparaging reference to their uniform.
[Burke, P., "Harry and the Galahs: Remembering the Meeting of Two Football Codes Thirty Years On", ''Australian Society for Sports History Bulletin'', Vol. 29, (1998), pp. 9–1]
/ref>
''Angry Birds
''Angry Birds'' is a Finnish action-based media franchise created by Rovio Entertainment. The game series focuses on the eponymous flock of angry birds who try to save their eggs from green-colored pigs. Inspired by the game ''Crush the Castl ...
'' includes a pink bird named Stella who is intended to be based on a Galah.
Namesake
* Gulargambone, New South Wales
References
* Brown, D.M. & Toft, C.A. (1999): Molecular systematics and biogeography of the cockatoos (Psittaciformes: Cacatuidae). '' Auk'' 116(1): 141–157.
* Flegg, Jim (2002): ''Photographic Field Guide: Birds of Australia''. Reed New Holland, Sydney & London.
* Forshaw, Joseph M. & Cooper, William T. (2002): ''Australian Parrots'' (3rd ed.). Alexander Editions.
* Frith, Harold James & Watts, Betty Temple (1984): ''Birds in the Australian High Country''. Angus & Robertson, London.
Cited texts
*
External links
The Australian galah
A website dedicated to galahs
rosakakadu.com Galah-Homepage
{{authority control
Cacatuini
Endemic birds of Australia
Birds of Victoria (Australia)
Talking birds
Birds described in 1817
Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot