Rose-breasted or galah cockatoos are one of the most widespread and easily available of the cockatoos in Australia. It is one of the most sociable companion birds.
|Scientific Name||Eolophus roseicapilla|
|Also known as||Galah cockatoo, roseate cockatoo, pink and grey|
|Size||14 inches (35 cm) in length|
|Weight||9.5-12.3 oz (270-350 g)|
|Color||Mid-grey to pale silver back, pale grey lower back, pink chest and face, light pink crest, beak is bone colored, while the legs are grey.
Sexual dimorphism in the fact that adult males have dark brown or nearly black irises, while the females have medium-brown to red irises.
Juvenile plumage is much duller than that of adults.
|Distribution||Found across Australia except for the driest parts and the far north of the Cape York Peninsula.|
|Habitat||Abundant in all areas which offer some scattered trees for shelter.|
|Sounds & Calls||High-pitched splintered identifying calls like ‘chilll-chilll,’ unpleasant screeches when threatened or excited. Muffled calls when communicating with a mate.
Usually not very loud or noisy in captivity, except for the morning and evening.
Moderate talking ability, not as good as some other cockatoos.
|Incubation Period||Around 25 days|
|Fledging||Around 49 days after hatching|
|Breeding Age||4 years|
|Lifespan||Wild: Rarely over 30 years
Captivity: Up to 80 years old
|Diet||Grasses, herbs, nuts, seeds, green shoots, berries, roots, leaf buds, insects, larvae, cereal crops, grains, sunflower seeds, fruits.|
|IUCN Conservation Status||Least Concern|
- Pied galah cockatoo
- Lutino galah cockatoo
- Grey and white
The galah cockatoo is fairly popular as pets because of its abundance, personality, and overall striking features. Having a long-lived bird like the galah will require a long time commitment from your side, however, or else, the bird will cease to be in sound mind and health.
A large outdoor aviary with sufficient flying space should be provided for your pet. If unaffordable, go for as big a cage you can get. Throw in some accessories for the enrichment of the bird, like perches, toys, chewable and destructible, mineral blocks, etc.
A noteworthy point to remember is to ensure that the galah is not exposed to too hot temperatures.
Temperament & Behavior
Galahs enjoy and long for the company of their owners. They are prone to form bonds with a specific individual but exposing them to a varied group of people from an early age can get them to become more social. Without adequate attention, they can become rather aggressive and unpleasant.
A hand-reared rose-breasted cockatoo will start to consider itself more a human than a bird, and when startled, excited or angry, a galah will warn you amply with the show of the crest, which becomes erect. This trait of their behavior can be easily avoided if the bird has enough toys to play with.
Both sexes of the galah cockatoo are good talkers. The males especially can be taught to talk very easily.
Feeding: What do galahs eat
A parrot mix, made up of various dried fruits, seeds, nuts, should be fed to the bird. In addition, fresh vegetables, fruits, and branches with leaves can also be provided for chewing purposes.
Galahs need to be bathed regularly because they have more dandruff than other species of cockatoos. Nails and the beak will be trimmed on their own if you have provided good perches.
- Feather plucking
- Proventricular dilation disease
- Psittacine beak and feather disease
A galah cockatoo costs around $1,900-$2,500.
- Galahs have been cross-bred with Major Mitchell’s cockatoo successfully in Sydney, and also with other species of cockatoos successfully over the years, and even cockatiels to produce galahtiels.
- The word ‘galah’ is found in many aboriginal languages and has been derived from the Yuwaalaraay word gilaa.
Galah singing and meowing video: