![]() ![]() Early DNA studies allied the galah with the cockatiel or placed it close to some Cacatua species of completely different appearance. Obvious morphological similarities are shared between the galah and the white cockatoos that make up the genus Cacatua and indeed the galah was initially described as Cacatua roseicapilla. It was separated in the monotypic genus Eolophus, but the further relationships were not clear. ![]() The classification of the galah was difficult. ![]() The changes brought 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.įlocks of galahs often congregate and forage on foot for food in open, grassy areas. They are common in some metropolitan areas, for example Adelaide, Perth, and Melbourne, and common to abundant in open habitats that offer at least some scattered trees for shelter. Whether they are native to Tasmania is still uncertain, though records exist from as early as the 1840s, and they are locally common today, especially in urban areas. Galahs are found in all Australian states, and are absent only from the driest areas and the far north of Cape York Peninsula. Juveniles have greyish chests, crowns, and crests, and they have brown irises and whitish bare eye rings, which are not carunculated. The colours of the juveniles are duller than the adults. The sexes appear similar however, generally 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. They have a bone-coloured beak, and the bare skin of the eye rings is carunculated. They have a pale silver to mid-grey back, a pale grey rump, a pink face and chest, and a light pink mobile crest. Galahs are about 35 cm (14 in) long and weigh 270–350 g (10–12 oz). The term galah is derived from gilaa, a word found in Yuwaalaraay and neighbouring Aboriginal languages It appears to have benefited from the change in the landscape since European colonisation and may be replacing the Major Mitchell's cockatoo in parts of its range. It is endemic on the mainland and was introduced to Tasmania, where its distinctive pink and grey plumage and its bold and loud behaviour make it a familiar sight in the bush and increasingly in urban areas. The galah (/ɡəˈlɑː/ Eolophus roseicapilla), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia. ![]()
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