GalahGalah – water Galah – mate for life
The distinctive Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) are known to be monogamous, mating for life. During the courting, the male Galah will strut towards the female with a raised crest, bobbing and waving the head. They can be heard making soft calls and clicking their bill, and will also chirp and screech, all in an effort to impress the female.
Found across Australia, their breeding season in the north is from February to July, whilst in the south it is from July to December. They prefer to nest in tree hollows, but are also known to nest in cavities in cliffs. Pairs of Galahs are also known to nest close to each other.
The female Galahs lay between 2 to 5 white eggs, with incubation being about 4 weeks. Both parents share the nesting and parenting duties of their offsprings. Whilst the young are independent by 6 to 8 weeks, they will join large nomadic flocks with other non-breeding birds for up to a couple of years.
Young Galahs have been known to stay with their parents for months to years.
Footnote & References
- Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) Fact Sheet. c2019. San Diego (CA): San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; [accessed 2021 Oct 05]. https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/galah
- How the Australian galah got its name in a muddle, by Leo Joseph (Research Director and Curator, Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO) and Jeremy Austin (Deputy Director and ARC Future Fellow, Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, University of Adelaide), The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/how-the-australian-galah-got-its-name-in-a-muddle-65646
GalahGalah – water Galah – mate for life
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