ParrotsParrots Index Australian Ringnecks Bluebonnet Bourke’s Parrot Budgerigar Cockatiel Galah Little Corella Pink Cockatoo Mallee Ringneck Mulga Parrot Port Lincoln Ringneck Purple-crowned Lorikeet Rainbow Lorikeet Red-collared Lorikeet Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

The Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea) is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It is about 35–41 cm in length and is similar in appearance to the long-billed corella and the western corella, but the little corella is smaller. Unlike the other two species, it has upper and lower mandibles of similar length and unlike the long-billed corella, it does not have an orange throat bar.

Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)
Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)

Common name
also known as the short-billed corella, little cockatoo, bare-eyed cockatoo, blood-stained cockatoo and blue-eyed cockatoo. It is known as Birdirra among the Yindjibarndi people of the central and western Pilbara region.

Aboriginal connection
Traditionally they would be cooked and eaten, although they were also known to keep them as pets. The feathers are used for adornment on headwear and armbands during traditional ceremonies and dances.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves
  • Order: Psittaciformes
  • Family: Cacatuidae
  • Genus: Cacatua
  • Subgenus: Licmetis
  • Species: Cacatua sanguinea

ParrotsParrots Index Australian Ringnecks Bluebonnet Bourke’s Parrot Budgerigar Cockatiel Galah Little Corella Pink Cockatoo Mallee Ringneck Mulga Parrot Port Lincoln Ringneck Purple-crowned Lorikeet Rainbow Lorikeet Red-collared Lorikeet Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

BirdsBird Index Apostlebird Australasian Figbird Australasian Gannet Australasian Grebe Australasian Robins Australasian Pipit Australasian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis) Australasian Wrens Australian Babblers Australian Brush-turkey (Alectura lathami) Australian Bustard Australian Chats Australian Magpie Australian Pelican Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella) Australian White Ibis Bassian Thrush Black-faced Woodswallow Black Swan Bowerbirds Brolga Brown Songlark Channel-billed Cuckoo Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cormorants Cuckooshrikes and Allies Dotterels Lapwings Plovers Doves & Pigeons Emu Fairy Martin Finches Freckled Duck Grey Fantail Grey Teal Honeyeaters Ibises Kingfishers Little Friarbird Little Grassbird Magpie-lark Masked Woodswallow Noisy Pitta Olive Whistler Paradise Riflebird Pardalotes Parrots Pheasant Coucal Pied Butcherbird Rainbow Bee-eater Raptors Rufous Fantail Redthroat Rufous Bristlebird Silver-crowned Friarbird Torresian Crow Waders Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) White-browed Woodswallow White Capped Noddy White-faced Heron White-necked Heron Willie Wagtail Yellow-throated Scrubwren