Birds · Psittaciformes · Cacatuidae

Galah

Eolophus roseicapilla

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The galah, or rose-breasted cockatoo, is one of the most abundant and most recognisable birds in Australia: deep pink on the breast and head, grey on the back, with a pale pink crest. It forms noisy flocks of hundreds of birds that feed on seeds in crops and grassland. It has benefited enormously from farming and from stock watering points, and its range and numbers have increased since European settlement.

Weight

270 g – 350 g

Size

34 cm – 38 cm

Lifespan

40 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaTemperate forestDesertGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Savanna Temperate forest Desert Grassland

1countries 31parks3same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt forms noisy flocks of hundreds and can live over 70 years.
Its name, galah, is used in Australian slang to mean a fool, after its apparently absurd acrobatic games: they hang upside down from wires, spin round and drop into dives for no apparent reason.
It deliberately chews the bark around the hollow where it nests, leaving a pale mark that flags the nest from a distance and whose function is still debated.