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GalahAlternate name(s): "Rose-breasted Cockatoo", "Roseate Cockatoo", "Willie-willock", "Willock", "Goulie"  Aboriginal name(s): Race "albiceps":
"galah", "gilaa" [gamilaraay, yuwaalaraay]; "kalemji", "gillumba"
Race "roseicapillus": "biako" Size: 35-38 cm Weight: 270-350 g |
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Similar |
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Description
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
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 Click here for a physical description
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See Galah
at Wikipedia |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
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Click here for sighting information
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Photos |
Race "roseicapillus"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male Galah mobbing two dependent juvenile
Australian Hobbies
(photo courtesy of D. Dyer)
[Cervantes, WA, December 2018]
Close-up frontal view of a preening male Galah
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Close-up near-frontal view of a male Galah; the dark eye characterises
this bird as a male
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, August 2022]
Near-frontal view of a male Galah
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Dianella, Perth, WA, December 2014]
Near-lateral view of a male Galah feeding on a
lawn; the grey colour of
the carunculated skin
around the eye is typical of nominate race "roseicapillus"
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Dianella, Perth, WA, December 2014]
Close-up near-lateral view of a male Galah
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, August 2022]
Close-up lateral view of a male Galah
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, August 2022]
Lateral view of a male Galah feeding on a
lawn
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Dianella, Perth, WA, December 2014]
Close-up dorsal view of a male Galah looking backwards
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]
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FEMALE |
Frontal portrait of a female Galah looking at the observer;
note the reddish irises
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, August 2022]
Close-up lateral view of a female Galah
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, August 2022]
Close-up lateral view of a female Galah
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, August 2022]
Close-up lateral view of a female Galah looking downward
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, August 2022]
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PAIR |
Pair of Galahs during a "house inspection" of an
Australian Hobby's
nest (photo courtesy of D. Dyer)
[Cervantes, WA, July 2020]
Sex unknown |
Near-lateral view of a Galah
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Swanbourne, Perth, WA, April 2021]
Race "albiceps"
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here 
.
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Close-up frontal portrait of a male Galah
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]
Close-up frontal portrait of a male Galah - note the dark iris
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]
Full-frontal view of a male Galah in mellow sunlight
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goondiwindi, QLD, March 2018]
This male Galah is giving a good look at its underwing
plumage
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2015]
In this frontal view the male Galah is picking at one of its feet,
thereby showing very clearly how its toes are aligned, with two
toes pointing forward and two backward; Galahs are classified as
"non-passerine" birds
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2012]
Frontal view of a male Galah on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]
Close-up near-frontal portrait of a male Galah
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]
Near-frontal view of a male Galah; the dark eye characterises this bird
as a male
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2012]
Near-frontal view of a male Galah on the ground with its head turned
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]
Close-up near-lateral portrait of a male Galah
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]
Close-up near-lateral view of a male Galah
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]
Close-up lateral portrait of a male Galah
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]
Close-up lateral portrait of a male Galah
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]
Lateral view of a male Galah feeding on
grass seeds
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2012]
Lateral view of a male Galah displaying its crest
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
Near-dorsal view of a male Galah
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2011]
Lateral view of a male Galah in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2014]
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FEMALE |
Close-up frontal portrait of a Galah looking sideways,
thereby showing clearly the warty skin around its eyes; the
reddish iris characterises this bird as a female
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2012]
Close-up frontal view of a female Galah looking sideways
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2022]
Near-frontal view of a female Galah looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]
Near-frontal view of a sleeping (female) Galah
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2012]
Lateral view of a female Galah
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]
Three Galahs in flight
[Near Narrabri, NSW, April 2011]
Small group of Galahs in flight
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
Flock of Galahs in flight
[Near Bourke, NSW, September 2017]
Three Galahs landing to join their mates for a meal
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2015]
"Galah on Ice"... (photo courtesy of C. Lawrence)
[Canberra, ACT, August 2014]
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PAIR |
Close-up lateral view of a pair of Galahs at the entrance
to their nest, male on the left
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2023]
Lateral view of a pair of Galahs in flight
[Paroo Darling NP,
NSW, March 2008]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
This young male Galah was just learning how to feed itself; most
of the time it still spent in a tree screeching to be fed
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2009]
Direct comparison of an adult female Galah, right, and a fledgling
male, left; note the different colour patterns - the young bird has
has a lot more grey in its
plumage; the eye-rings
are also different
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]
Two fledgling Galahs just out of their nest
[Near Narrabri, NSW, November 2006]
Another fledgling male Galah
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2007]
Portrait of the same fledgling Galah as above
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2007]
Again the same fledgling Galah, now clambering to a vantage
point from which to launch itself into the wind and
fly away ;
note the short tail typical of all fledgling birds
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2007]
Ruffled young Galah after a hefty shower; the local
animal rescue team helped it until it had dried up,
eaten and flown away again
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
Galah recovering after a severe storm with 20-mm hail stones
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2016]
Juvenile Galah being fed (photo courtesy of
R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2014]
Fledgling Galah being fed by dad; the young begging for food sound
almost like donkey's calls - to make the parent regurgitate food,
the young thrust their bill forward repeatedly in jerky motions
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2008]
Here a young Galah being groomed by one of its parents
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2011]
This young Galah turned up in our garden without its parents;
having to feed itself at a very young age, it was weak when found
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
Galah "nursery", where juveniles were "parked" by their parents to
nibble on the lawn while waiting to be fed on a 40+ C day
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2014]
Race "kuhli"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Lateral view of Galahs with a partiality for roasted seeds;
in the foreground two males with dark irises
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2021]
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FEMALE |
Lateral view of Galahs with a partiality for roasted seeds;
in the foreground two males with brown irises
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2021]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a juvenile female Galah; the brown iris indicates
that the bird is a female; the pale orbital skin suggests a young
bird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Dripstone Park, Brinkin, Darwin, NT, May 2021]
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Breeding information |
| Breeding season: Aug - Nov | Eggs: 3 - 6 | Incubation period: 24 days | Fledging age: 42 - 49 days |
The breeding season depends significantly on geographical latitude. In the northern tropics Galahs breed Feb - May; given the right conditions, Galah can breed any time of the year. Cockatoos are sociable creatures which often nest in loose colonies, also in conjunction with other species.
Pair of Galahs working on the next generation...
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2018]
In 2007 the first young Galahs fledged around mid-November, much later than the young of other species, such as e.g. Magpie-larks or Australian Magpies, both of which had their young out of the nests by mid-October, while the first batch of Welcome Swallows was already gone by mid-September.
| Nest building: Male? | Incubation: Male & female | Dependent care: Male & female |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
| Type: Tree hollow | Material: Leafy twigs, leaves | Height above ground: 2 - 20 m |
Galahs, like most other parrots and cockatoos, nest in tree hollows.
Male Galah sitting in the entrance of its nest hollow; Galahs
are early breeders and will already secure a nest site at the
start of winter
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Bold Park, City Beach, Perth, WA, May 2021]
Male Galah guarding its nest hollow
[Maules Creek, NSW, September 2011]
This male designer Galah has a home with a "Map of Australia" entrance!
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]
A similar entrance as shown above - this nesting hollow, with its
entrance hole, can be used to demonstrate several optimization techniques:
the dead tree is standing in a swamp, which protects the nest
against predators such as goannas; the opening is just big enough
for a Galah to squeeze in, thus protecting the birds against
larger, more powerful competitors such as e.g. Little Corellas or Sulphur-crested Cockatoos; the
hollow itself is wider than the entrance hole, permitting the birds
to sit comfortably and turn around inside
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2013]
Female Galah at the entrance of its nest hollow
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Torquay, VIC, April 2022]
Here a female Galah sitting on the "doorstep"
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2011]
Galah nest in a live
eucalypt;
the male was still working on it, but the view from
the entrance checked out all right
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2018]
Fledgling male Galah peeking out of its nest hollow
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
This pair of Galahs was observed while "sounding" a tree trunk;
they did not tap the trunk with their bills, but scraped the
bill sideways, listening for a hollow sound and thereby gauging
the suitability of the hollow inside for nesting (i.e. judging
whether it was worth to pry open an entrance)
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, April 2017]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
| Size: 36 x 26 mm | Colour: White | Shape: Rounded |
Galah egg (by a bird in captivity)
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair/flock |
Galahs have very strong bonds in their partnerships. Even in flocks one can often see pairs stay close together.
As is the case for basically all species of parrots and cockatoos known to us, male Galahs must prove their mettle in bonding rituals before a female will choose to mate with them. Females, who perform all nest duties, will be reliant on the male's food supply for 10-11 weeks.
Male Galah, left, feeding his partner, right, in a bonding ritual (photo courtesy of C. Lawrence)
Some Galah "TLC", as part of a pair's
bonding rituals
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]
Female Galah sitting just outside the nesting hollow while
her partner is giving it a final inspection
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, August 2017]
Male Galah giving the "all clear" - the hollow is ready for use
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, August 2017]
Around sunrise and sunset Galahs form organised flocks careening through the sky, at low altitude, with enormous speed and agility.
Like all seed eaters, Galahs spend a lot of time on the ground, foraging in large flocks of up to hundreds, see photo below.
Where there is good tucker, there will be lots of Galahs; in winter
they tend to form flocks, seeking "safety in numbers"
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2015]
Galahs are often seen by us together with Little Corellas and/or Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in flocks of up to hundreds, especially where there is plenty of food (e.g. near commercial crops such as olive groves or grain storage facilities).
Also sometimes seen by us to hassle raptors. They don't swoop on the larger birds, but annoy them by accompanying them in a flock, attracting everybody's attention in the process (see photo below).
Flock of Galahs pestering a Whistling Kite
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]
Like other parrots and cockatoos, Galahs can be playful at times.
Here an example why Australian English has the expression
"Silly Galah" (I); this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 27
June 2014
[Near Bellata, NSW, June 2014]
Here an example why Australian English has the expression
"Silly Galah" (II); this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 27
June 2014
[Near Bellata, NSW, June 2014]
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Food, Diet |
| Adults: Seeds | Dependents: Regurgitated seeds | Water intake: Daily |
Like basically all cockatoos, Galahs are seed-eaters, where seeds include those in cones and nut-like fruit, for example those of Acacia salicina (see below). We have also observed Galahs nibbling on the buds of eucalypt flowers and also on lawns.
Male Galah feeding on the fruit of
Acacia salicina
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Male Galah feeding on the fruit of
Acacia salicina
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2021]
Close-up view of the fruit of
Acacia salicina
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2007]
Male Galah feeding on seeds
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2011]
Lateral view of a female Galah feeding on a lawn
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]
Dorsal view of a Galah feeding on a lawn
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]
Grass from a lawn is
hard to digest - here a flock of Galahs taking in grit first from
a tennis clay court...
[Narrabri, NSW, July 2013]
... before moving on to the local cricket/football pitch
[Narrabri, NSW, July 2013]
This photo shows that Galahs, although mainly seed-eaters,
do also feed on foliage if there are no seeds to be found in
wintertime
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2010]
In fact, a small group of Galahs was observed by us in wintertime
to rip into Buffalo grass
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2012]
Galah enjoying a feed of wattle flowers
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2023]
A grain spill in a farm yard provides an easy meal for many
hungry Galahs
[Near Bellata, NSW, December 2016]
Mixed flock of Galahs and
Cockatiels
rising in alarm caused by the observer's car;
they were disturbed while cleaning up a
roadside
grain spill
[Burren Junction, NSW, May 2018]
Galahs and
Cockatiels
cleaning up a grain spill
[Burren Junction, NSW, July 2021]
Flock of Galahs at a waterhole
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, August 2018]
(Young?) Male Galah drinking water from a bird bath
[Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2015]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement 
are welcome.
| galah_jg_20160806.mp3 |
roseicapillus (central WA) |
Contact calls | © JG | |
| galah_20140109.mp3 |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Contact call | © MD | |
| galah_20140311.mp3 |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Contact calls (in-flight) | © MD | |
| galah_art_20131115.mp3 |
albiceps (SE QLD) |
Antics (in-flight) | © ART | |
| galah_20140411.mp3 |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Flock passing over | © MD | |
| galah_20180923.m4a |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Pair depature | © MD | |
| galah_20140703.mp3 |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Squabbling | © MD | |
| galah_20140627_4.mp3 |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Idle chatter | © MD | |
| galah_20180120.m4a |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Various | © MD | |
| galah_20221115.mp3 |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Begging calls (2 juveniles) | © MD | |
| galah_20210129.m4a |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Begging calls (juveniles) & parents' response | © MD |
Click here for more recordings
We have also recorded the wing beat of a Galah.
| galah_20140627_2.mp3 |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Arrival at perch | © MD | |
| galah_20140423.mp3 |
albiceps (NW NSW) |
Careening | © MD |
More Galah sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.