Galah
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The galah (Template:IPAc-en; Eolophus roseicapilla), less commonly known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is an Australian species of cockatoo and the only member of the genus Eolophus. The galah is adapted to a wide variety of modified and unmodified habitats and is one of Australia's most abundant and widespread bird species.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Humans to blame for galah problem">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="eBird explore species – Galah">Template:Cite web</ref> The species is endemic to mainland Australia. It was introduced to Tasmania, where it is now widespread, in the mid-20th century<ref name="Gould 1840">Template:Cite web</ref> and much more recently to New Zealand.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Etymology
The term galah is derived from gilaa, a word from the Yuwaalaraay and neighbouring Aboriginal languages spoken in north-western New South Wales.<ref>Dixon et al. (2006): p. 84.</ref>
Description
The galah is about Template:Convert in length, and weighs Template:Convert. It has a pale silver to grey back, a pale grey rump, a pink face and breast, and a light pink mobile crest. It has a bone-coloured beak, and the bare skin of the eye ring is carunculated. It has grey legs. The sexes appear similar; however, 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. Adults are more brightly coloured than juveniles. Juveniles have a greyish breast, crown, and crest, and brown irises with whitish non-carunculated eye rings.<ref name="Forshaw (2006). plate 3.">Forshaw (2006). plate 3."</ref>
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Male
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Female (note the reddish iris)
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A juvenile in Sydney
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Female in flight
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Male in flight
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Distribution and habitat
The galah can be found throughout Australia, and is absent only from the driest areas and the far north of Cape York Peninsula. The galah has been introduced to Tasmania through anthropogenic means and there were no sightings prior to 1848.<ref name="Gould 1840"/> A large population expansion occurred in the 1960s following many escapees from captivity. It is common in metropolitan areas such as Adelaide, Perth, and Melbourne, and abundant in open habitats that offer at least some scattered trees for shelter. It is common in all habitats in its range except for dense forests, especially those with high rainfall.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>
While it is mostly found in inland areas, the galah is rapidly colonising coastal regions.<ref name=":0" /> The changes brought by European settlement, which have been disastrous 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.
The galah was also introduced to New Zealand in the latter part of the 20th century, becoming established in the South Auckland area.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Classification
The classification of the galah was difficult. It was separated in the monotypic genus Eolophus, but the further relationships were not clear. 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. Early DNA studies allied the galah with the cockatiel or placed it close to some Cacatua species of completely different appearance. In consequence, the ancestors of the galah, the cockatiel and Major Mitchell's cockatoo were thought to have diverged from the main white cockatoo line at some stage prior to that group's main radiation; this was indeed correct except for the placement of the cockatiel. Ignorance of this fact, however, led to attempts to resolve the evolutionary history and prehistoric biogeography of the cockatoos, which ultimately proved fruitless because they were based on invalid assumptionsTemplate:Example needed to start with.Template:Citation needed
It fell to the study of Brown & Toft (1999) to compare the previously available data with their mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequence to resolve the issue. Today, the galah is seen, along with Major Mitchell's cockatoo, as an early divergence from the white cockatoo lineage, which has not completely lost its ability to produce an overall pink (Major Mitchell's) or pink and grey (galah) body plumage, while already being light in colour and non-sexually dimorphic. The significance of these two (and other) characteristics shared by the Cacatuinae had previously been explained away in earlier studies by strict application of parsimony on misinterpreted data.
Subspecies
Three subspecies are usually recognised. Slight variation exists in the colours of the plumage and in the extent of the carunculation of the eye rings among the three subspecies. The south-eastern form, E. r. albiceps, is clearly distinct from the paler-bodied Western Australian nominate subspecies, E. r. roseicapilla, 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, found right across the northern part of the continent, tends to be a little smaller and is distinguished by differences in the shape and colour of the crest, although its status as a valid subspecies is uncertain.
Behaviour
The galah is often found in flocks of 10 to 1,000 individuals. These can be mixed flocks, the members of which may include the pink cockatoo, the little corella, and the sulphur-crested cockatoo. The galah readily hybridizes with all of these species (see below).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Flocks of galahs often congregate and forage on the ground for food in open, grassy areas. Flocks of independent juvenile galahs will often disperse from their birth flock haphazardly. The galah feeds on seeds gathered on the ground, mainly feeding in the morning and late afternoon. Idly, it will strip leaves and bark from trees, and large flocks have been observed to kill trees through defoliation.<ref name=":0" />
Breeding
The galah nests in tree cavities. The eggs are white, usually two to five in a clutch. The eggs are incubated for about 25 days, and the male and female share the incubation. The chicks leave the nest about 49 days after hatching.<ref name = "DA 2003">Template:Cite book</ref>
Lifespan
Living in captivity, galahs have been recorded reaching up to 72 years of age<ref name="anage">Template:Cite web</ref> when a good-quality diet is strictly followed. They socialise adequately and can engage playfully in entertainment activities to support the overall very intelligent nature of the bird. In their natural habitat, galahs are unlikely to reach the age of 20 years, falling victim to traffic, predators such as the little eagle and black and peregrine falcons, and human activities in some agricultural areas. Like most other cockatoos, galahs create strong, lifelong bonds with their partners.
Hybrids
The galah readily hybridizes with several species, including the sulphur-crested cockatoo, little corella, Major Mitchell's cockatoo, and the cockatiel. Galah x cockatiel hybrids are often referred to as "galatiels".<ref>Talking Birds – Australia's Avian Newspaper</ref> Aviary-bred hybrids of galah x Major Mitchell's cockatoo have been bred in Sydney, with the tapered wings of the galah and the crest and colours of the Major Mitchell's, as well as the plaintive cry of the latter.
Relationship to humans
In the state of South Australia, galahs are considered "unprotected native fauna" and may be shot (without a permit), trapped or gassed (with a permit) by landowners.<ref name="galahpermits" />
Aviculture
The galah is very common as a companion parrot or avicultural specimen around the world. They are generally absent from Australian aviaries,<ref name="Shephard">Template:Cite book</ref> although permits are available in South Australia to take a limited number of galahs from the wild per year for avicultural purposes.<ref name="galahpermits">Template:Cite web</ref> When tame, it can be an affectionate and friendly bird that can learn to talk, as well as mimic other sounds heard in its environment. While it is a noisy bird that may be unsuitable for apartment living, it is comparatively quieter than other cockatoo species. Like most parrots, the galah requires plenty of exercise and play time out of its cage as well as several hours of daily social interaction with humans or other birds in order to thrive in captivity. It may also be prone to obesity if not provided with a suitable, nutritionally-balanced diet.<ref name="Kalhagen">Template:Cite web</ref> The World Parrot Trust recommends that captive galahs should be kept in an aviary with a minimum length of Template:Convert.<ref name="worldparrottrust">Template:Cite web</ref>
The breeding requirements include the use of upright or tilted logs with a hollow some Template:Convert in diameter. Sand and finer grades of wood material are used to construct their nest, the availability of eucalypt leaves for the nest lining is also suggested for captive breeding.<ref name="Shephard" />
As food
The galah has historically been eaten by humans. Galah meat recipes were published in Australian newspapers in the 1930s, alongside jokes about the alleged toughness and unpalatable nature of the bird's flesh.<ref name="oldfoodie">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="recipelink">Template:Cite web</ref>
Cultural references
"Galah" is also derogatory Australian slang, synonymous with "fool", "clown", or "idiot".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Because of the bird's distinctive bright pink colour, the term is also used to describe gaudy dress. A detailed description of the slang term can be found in the stand-up comedy performance of Paul Hogan, titled Stand Up Hoges. Another well-known user of the term "galah" is Alf Stewart from Home and Away, who is often heard saying "Flaming galah!" when he is irritated.
The Australian representative team of footballers who played a series of test matches of international rules football against Irish sides in the late 1960s adopted the nickname "The Galahs" after a disparaging reference to their uniform.<ref>Burke, P., "Harry and the Galahs: Remembering the Meeting of Two Football Codes Thirty Years On", Australian Society for Sports History Bulletin, Vol. 29, (1998), pp. 9–17.[1]</ref>
Namesake
- Gulargambone, New South Wales
Citations
General and cited references
- Brown, D.M. & Toft, C.A. (1999): "Molecular systematics and biogeography of the cockatoos (Psittaciformes: Cacatuidae)". Auk 116(1): 141–157.
- Template:Cite book.
- Flegg, Jim (2002): Photographic Field Guide: Birds of Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney & London. Template:ISBN.
- Forshaw, Joseph M. & Cooper, William T. (2002): Australian Parrots (3rd ed.). Alexander Editions. Template:ISBN.
- Frith, Harold James & Watts, Betty Temple (1984): Birds in the Australian High Country. Angus & Robertson, London. Template:ISBN.
External links
Template:Wiktionary Template:Commons Template:Wikispecies
- The Australian galah: A website dedicated to galahs
- rosakakadu.com Galah-Homepage; Template:Webarchive
- Le Kakatoës Rose, 1820s illustration by Paul Louis Oudart and C. Motte.
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