Galah

Looks how to spot one

Feathered; medium cockatoo with a short, mobile crest

A mid-sized cockatoo in soft rose-pink and silver-grey. The face, neck and underparts are deep pink, the short crest is a paler pink or whitish, and the back and wings are pale grey. The beak is a pale bone colour. Adult males usually have very dark brown eyes, while females have mid-brown to reddish eyes.21

Personality what they are like

An intelligent, playful and outgoing cockatoo that is comfortable around people. It is a real flock bird that wants plenty of company, and it can learn to copy a wide variety of sounds and words. It does best with a keeper who has time for daily interaction.3

Daily activity how busy a day looks

High. Galahs enjoy swings, toys and chewing, and benefit from daily out-of-cage time and foraging so they can search for food as they would on the ground in the wild.342

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Like other cockatoos it produces powder down, so regular baths or showers help keep the feathers in good shape. Offer safe wood and toys to chew and shred.4

Home where they are happiest

A roomy, strongly built cage with daily time out, or better still an aviary; the World Parrot Trust suggests an aviary at least 7 m long. LafeberVet gives cockatoo cage bar spacing of 1.3-1.9 cm and perches 1.9-5 cm across depending on species.24

Food basics what goes in the bowl

In the wild it feeds mostly on the ground on grass and grain seeds, with buds, berries and insect larvae. At home, use a quality pellet as the base with vegetables, some fruit and a measured amount of seed, rather than seed alone.124

Company who they like around

Highly sociable. Wild galahs gather in flocks from ten to around a thousand birds, and a pet needs daily company and attention.23

The story where it all began

Vieillot gave the galah its scientific name in 1817, and it now sits alone in its own genus. The common name comes from 'gilaa', a word from the Yuwaalaraay and neighbouring Aboriginal languages of north-western New South Wales. Farming and new water sources helped it spread widely across Australia, where it is now one of the most familiar parrots.21

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Least Concern, with an increasing population.1

CITES

Appendix II.1

Taxonomy

Described by Vieillot in 1817; the only member of genus Eolophus, with three subspecies (roseicapilla, albiceps, kuhli).2