The Galah revisited

by Guy Hull

The Galah Cockatoo (Cacatua Roseicapilla) – also known as the Roseate or Rose-breasted Cockatoo - is a small pink, silvery grey and white cockatoo native to Australia and means different things to different people.  For some it is cherished as arguably the most identifiable psittacine icon of the Australian bush, beautifully coloured in soft pastels and endowed with personality plus.  For others it is loved as an amusing and gentle pet.  But many Australians dismiss it as too common, too stupid, too noisy or too destructive, and in some parts of rural Australia it is despised and even legally killed “en masse.”

Stately, inconspicuous, unprepossessing, uncommon and undemonstrative - the Galah is none of these!  The Galah is an eccentric extrovert with absolutely nothing to hide, and for its many devotees it possesses many admirable traits and habits.  But the Galah has made its mistakes over time and has amassed its critics as well.  But as we shall see, it is undeniable that this small cockatoo contributes to the tapestry of natural Australia to a degree, disproportionate to almost any other bird.

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