Fun Galah Facts For Kids

The galah bird, popularly known as as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, are birds mostly found in parts of Australia, where it is among the most common cockatoo. It is an unmistakable and attractive species of cockatoo, which can be easily spotted from other cockatoo galahs because of their gray and pink plumage and, bold and loud appearance. These rose breasted cockatoos are very distinctive in nature from all other galahs present, they are about 35 cm (14 in) in length, and weigh 270–350 g. They have a crest which is short and can puff out. Galah eolophus also have grey legs and a bone-colored beak.  There are vey slight differences between the males and female galah birds, such as the adult birds which have a very distinctive difference in iris color, as the male will have very dark brown irises and the female has mid-brown or red irises. This species of galahs are  known to hybrid easily with several other bird species such as sulphur-crested cockatoo, little corella, Major Mitchell's cockatoo. This Australian bird has a very good lifespan, they can reach up to 80 years of age with a good quality diet provided in the wild.

Read on for the best galah facts for kids! To learn more about animals, read our other animal fact files on the tawny owl and the secretary bird.

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What type of animal is a galah?

The galah is a type of bird which comes under the species of cockatoo and is popularly known as the galah cockatoo throughout the world. The scientific name of this bird, the rose breasted cockatoo, is Eolophus roseicapillus.

What class of animal does a galah belong to?

Galah eolophus comes under the classification of Aves.

How many galahs are there in the world?

There is no specific record of how many galah birds are present in the world currently, but it is a known fact that these Australian birds are listed under Least Concerned as a species in the world animal index.

Where does a galah live?

The flocks of this bird prefer to live in wild parts of Australia, and sometimes around urban areas and some offshores, places with their habitat including woodland, grassland and shrubland.

What is a galah's habitat?

The habitat of the bird is very diverse and wild because these birds really love to live in areas such as woodlands and forests of eucalyptus, grasslands, savanna and some more areas as well as suburban parks, gardens, sports fields, and golf courses.

Who do galahs live with?

Galahs birds are mostly seen living in flocks of 10-1,000 individuals. Sometimes it can be a mixed flock, with different kind of birds such as Major Mitchell's cockatoo, the little corella, and the sulphur-crested cockatoo. It is due to the habit of hybridization that means they prefer to live in varied flocks of galahs, so their wild habitat, crest and diet is diverse.

How long does a galah live?

Although there hasn't been any significant proof of how long these birds live to, it can be around 50 years or more, the most a bird has lived is 80 years in Australia.

How do they reproduce?

The roseate don't have any significant way of breeding, they breed in their nests in tree cavities. The nest are somewhat bowl-shaped. These cockatoos have been seen frequently reusing the same nest site or one nest only for many years in Australia. They lay their eggs in late July through to September and then young galahs are born.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status and exact number of galah birds in the world is something that has not yet been quantified, but these cockatoos are very common as the population is increasing with the time in large flocks. They are therefore listed as a least concern species of cockatoos.

What do galahs look like?

The galah cockatoo is also known as rose breasted cockatoo because they are pink in color, with half of their feathers being pink. There is gray and pink plumage, which makes them look very attractive and easily distinctive, and they also have a short crest. The color of the beak is somewhat a bone color, making it very unique, although it can also look like a cap when lowered, having a range of color from white to pink. Galah eolophus also have grey legs and a bone-colored beak with the bare skin of their eye ring being carunculated.

How cute are they?

They can be cute depending on the individual outlook. If you like a parrot, then you might like a  cockatoo bird look as they are similar to the parrot and there are people who are fond of parrots and find them cute.

How do they communicate?

When it comes to talking or communicating, these roseate birds can be very sharp and have several types of notes when it comes their territory or in a fight; they can make a sound of chet-chet, chee-chuh, chill-chill, or something similar. For alarming others, the galahs produce a harsh screech.

How big is a galah?

These cockatoos can be a good size like a normal bird but only when they have a proper diet that is healthy. The galah cockatoo are very average in size, not too small and not too big, but this depends on their diet and feeding habits, along with breeding too.

How fast can a galah fly?

Rose breasted galahs are very strong when it comes to flying from their crest, they are one of the fastest flying birds found on Australian land, with a approximate speed of at least 70 kph (40 mph).

How much does a galah weigh?

Males and females, both young and old, have quite lot of difference in terms of weight, as males are slightly heavier than females of this roseate cockatoo. The weight of the male can vary from 345-350 g and the female weight vary from 311-320 g.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are several names from with which these cockatoo birds are known in terms of male and female name, galahs are usually referred to as male chick and female chick.

What would you call a baby galah?

The Australian young galahs or roseate cockatoo baby are also commonly known as baby chick.

What do they eat?

They mainly eat different kinds of seeds such as seeds of grasses, cereal grains, cultivated crops, and herbaceous plants. Sometimes for their feeding habits, they prefer to eat fruits, too, such as berries, nuts, roots, young shoots and larva of insects, and flowers (basically, they don't compromise with their feeding habits).

Are they dangerous?

No they are not at all dangerous. In fact, they cute and a good kind of pet animal, as the galah parrot both are very similar and as parrots are not so dangerous, in the  same way, these roseicapilla cockatoos are not at all dangerous.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, they can become a good pet and if provided with a proper environment, they can live a happy and long life. They won't make you feel sad, unlike parrots, as people feel very sad because of their parrot's short lifespan.

Did you know...

Now, it's time for some galah cockatoo facts about this bird, the Australia cockatoos! The term ‘galah’ is part of the Australian dialect, a word which means ‘a fool’. Galah pairs love their nest duties and parenting duties for their offspring, and baby Galahs stay with their parents for almost a year. They are also known as monogamous birds which means they only mate with one partner throughout their life. Female galahs have a slight pink color of eyes which also make them easily distinguishable.

The galah bird's call

They can make different types of sound depending on the situation. Some of them have several types of notes, for example when it comes to distribution of place and territory, or in a fight, they make a sound of chet-chet, chee-chuh, chill-chill, for alarming others they do a harsh screech.

Why do galahs hang upside down?

There is no specific reason for them hanging upside down, it's thought just to be a moody thing that they do in regular intervals to act as foolish as their name and just to play around with other birds.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including great green macaw, or shoebill.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Galah coloring pages.

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