Cacatua
Roseicapilla
Description
The
Galah (35 cm) can be easily identified by its rose-pink head, neck and
underparts, with paler pink crown, and grey back, wings and undertail. Birds
from the west of Australia have comparatively paler plumage. Galahs have a
bouncing acrobatic flight, but spend much of the day sheltering from heat in the
foliage of trees and shrubs. The voice is a distinctive high-pitched screech,
'chi-chi'. Huge noisy flocks of birds congregate and roost together at night.
Distribution and
Habitat
The Galah is one of the most abundant and familiar of the
Australian parrots, found in large flocks, in a variety of timbered habitats,
usually near water. It occurs over most of Australia, including some offshore
islands, and is becoming more abundant round areas of human habitation. The
growth in population is largely a result of increasing availability of food and
water. Escaped aviary birds have also contributed to these numbers.