Galah or Rose-breasted Cockatoos / Roseate
Cockatoos as Pets ... Talking Ability (compared to other species) ... Cockatoo Cages ... Cockatoo Diet / Foods ... Cockatoo Diseases ... Sexing Cockatoos ... Cockatoo Library ... The Taxonomy Of Cockatoos
Overview:
Kindly provided by Dr. Rob Marshall - http://www.birdhealth.com.au)
These well-adapted birds are found in abundance throughout central Australia. They are also becoming increasingly common towards the coastal regions.
They are usually seen in large flocks, often feeding with Sulphur Crested Cockatoos.
Galahs make wonderful, energetic pets and when trained with consistency have a good talking ability. These birds have an affectionate and bubbly personality and are extremely popular as pets.
They are very smart and enjoy human company, loving to learn new tricks and impress their owner. Being well adapted to the dry conditions of central Australia, the Galah is a hardy and robust bird that adjusts well to climatic changes.
| Chart provided by Dr. Rob Marshall - http://www.birdhealth.com.au) |
| Galah Eolophus roseicapillus |
| Size: 35cm in length |
| Pet Status: Excellent |
| Talking Ability: Good |
| Noise Level: Moderate - High |
| Lifespan: Up to 50 years |
| Breeding Ability: Excellent |
| Courtship Display: Male raises crest, waves head and struts towards female. She will utter soft, chattering noises as he approaches. |
| Number of Eggs: 3-4 eggs |
| Incubation: 28 days |
| Compatibility with other species: Poor |
| Feeding: Seed and Fruit Eaters |
| Health Programmes: Follow the Parrot Health Programme. |
| Sexing: Iris dark brown in male, pink/red in female. Surgical or DNA sexing required as juveniles. |
They are also keen chewers and require toys or other forms of boredom relief to keep them stimulated and out of trouble. Pet galahs should always be obtained as hand reared birds from aviary-bred parents and once again, males generally make better pets than females. It is not advisable to obtain a pet Galah from the wild as these birds quickly revert to their wild behaviours and become difficult birds to keep.
Disease Susceptibility
Galahs are especially prone to fat tumours and require a balanced, low fat diet and plenty of exercise as prevention.
Description:
Galahs have a pale to mid grey back, a pink face and chest, and a lighter pink crest. Sexes are similar, differing only in eye color: the male has a brown iris, the female red.Typical birds are about 350mm long and weigh between 300 and 400 grams.
Owners have described the Galahs to be surprisingly "undusty" for lack of a better word. They are much less dusty than say african greys. Their pink and grey feathers feel soft to the touch.
Distribution:
The Galah, Eolophus roseicapilla, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos. It occupies open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia. Galahs are found in all Australian states, and are absent only from the driest areas and the far north of Cape York Peninsula. They appear to have been self-introduced to Tasmania. They are common in some metropolitan areas, for example Perth and Melbourne, and common to abundant in open habitats which offer at least some scattered trees for shelter. The changes wrought by European settlement, a disaster 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 is difficult. It was originally placed alone in the genus Eolophus, as there are clear morphological differences between the Galah and the white cockatoos that make up genus Cacatua (though older sources place the Galah in that genus). DNA evidence, however, conflicts with this, suggesting that the Galah is most closely related to the Cockatiel. It is thought that the ancestors of the Galah, the Cockatiel, and Major Mitchell's Cockatoo diverged from the main white cockatoo line at some stage prior to that group's main radiation. Aviary bred crosses of Galahs and Major Mitchells have been bred in Sydney, with the tapered wings of the Galah and the crest and colors of the Major Mitchell, as well as its plaintive cry.
Three subspecies are usually recognised. The south-eastern form, E. r. roseicapillus is clearly distinct from the paler-bodied Western Australian form, E. r. assimilis, 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, is found right across the northern part of the continent, tends to be a little smaller and is distinguished by differences in the shape of the crest and eye-ring, although its status as a true subspecies is uncertain. (Source: Wikipedia.org)
Behavior / Pet Potential:
Galahs are highly social, affectionate and friendly - and very long lived. To take a Galah as a pet is not something that should be undertaken lightly as they bond socially with their owners and may very well outlive them. They will often become a little unpredictable as they mature and require training in order to integrate them into the family as a well-behaved "members of the flock." They are extremely playful and intelligent birds that need constant stimulation: interaction, toys, branches to chew on. They are not generally noisy, apart from early morning and evening. Both sexes can become good talkers; however, their talking ability is not usually on a par with either Sulphur-crested Cockatoos or the Corellas.
Galah is also derogatory Australian slang, synonymous with 'fool' or 'idiot'. Inquiries of Australian contrymen in the '70's suggest that this is a misunderstanding. Galahs are very self-confident and have a great zest for life, and are not embarrassed by anything they may care to do or be caught doing (unlike cats). It is very common to see them hanging by one leg from telephone or power lines in a rainstorm getting soaking wet and screeching with delight. There are many reports of them tobogganing down the corrugated roofs of outback buildings.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
- Cockatoos present their owners with certain challenges, such as excessive chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.
- Web Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
Taxonomy:
Genus: English: Roseate Cockatoos ... Dutch: Rose Kakatoes ... German: Rosakakadus ... French: Cacatoès rosalbin 
Species: Scientific: Eolophus roseicapillus roseicapillus aka Cacatua roseicapilla roseicapilla ... English: Galah, Rose-breasted Cockatoos, Roseate Cockatoos ... Dutch: Rosé Kakatoe ... German: Rosakakadu ... French: Cacatoès rosalbin Sub-Species: kuhli, assimilis, roseicapillus CITES II - Endangered Species Distribution: Australia
Sub-Species:
Western Galah / Roseate Cockatoos:
Genus: Scientific: Eolophus ... English: Roseate Cockatoos ... Dutch: Rose Kakatoes ... German: Rosakakadus ... French: Cacatoès rosalbin
Species: Scientific: Eolophus roseicapillus assimilis aka Cacatoes roseicapilla assimilis ... English: Western Galah, Western Roseate Cockatoos ...Dutch: Westelijke Rosé Kakatoe ...German: Westlicher Rosakakadu ... French: Cacatoès rosalbin pâle
CITES II - Endangered Species Distribution: Western Australia
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with web visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the webmaster.
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