4/4/2024 0 Comments Gang gang cockatoo female![]() ![]() They were one of several mainland birds introduced to Kangaroo Island in South Australia between 19 when part of Flinders Chase was identified as a sanctuary due to its lack of pests. Until the 1960s, their habitat even stretched as far south as King Island, off Tasmania's northwest coast. They occur along the Great Dividing Range from the central north coast of NSW, through the ACT and central and southwestern Victoria, to the South Australian border," Taylor says. "Gang-gangs are endemic to eastern Australia. While they hold a special spot in the heart of Canberrans, you'll also find gang-gangs well beyond the territory. "Some gang-gangs move to lower elevations in winter but some remain in areas with higher elevation," Taylor says. (The Southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby was chosen as the ACT's mammal emblem in 2018.) The gang-gang is also the insignia for the ACT Parks and Conservation Service and the Canberra Ornithologist Group - our local bird loving group. When the Australian Capital Territory adopted the gang-gang as its emblem in 1997 it was the only state or territory to feature a bird as its faunal emblem instead of a mammal. Many compare their call to the sound of a drawn-out creaky door." They are a Canberra icon If you can't get close enough to identify it, try listening instead. "Their most distinctive trait is their call that is often heard while they are in flight. "They are not as commonly spotted as other similar sized parrots and should certainly not be mistaken for the much more common, but also beautifully coloured, galah." "The males boast a spectacular red head and both the males and females have a wispy crest." "Gang-gangs are an incredibly beautiful parrot," Taylor says. ![]() Gang-gangs, one of 14 cockatoo species in Australia, are crowd favourites for their slate-grey feathers with blushes of pink, the male's distinctive red crest, and their quirky call. We asked our gang-gang guru what we know about the birds, what we still need to find out, and what makes these charismatic cockies special. No formal research or monitoring has been conducted about the species, says Stacey Taylor, a Master's student at The Australian National University (ANU) who is studying the patterns of occupancy of the gang-gang across the ACT. That became clear in the 2021 Bird of the Year poll, where they finished third out of 50 Australian native birds.ĭespite their popularity, we don't know a lot about them. Wet forests and woodlands in mountain areas, occasionally in urban areas.They are the faunal emblem of the Australian Capital Territory, but enthusiasm for the gang-gang cockatoo stretches far beyond the Canberra bubble. They feed primarily on seeds, preferably of eucalypts and wattles, but will also eat insects, nuts, fruits and berries. In comparison to other cockatoo species, they are relatively quiet and can be located by the sounds of falling debris from the trees that they are foraging in. They are sometimes also seen in urban areas in the winter. Gang-gang Cockatoos migrate seasonally, spending winter in drier lowland areas, such as open eucalypt forests and woodlands, and moving to higher areas in summer, generally tall mountain forests and woodlands. The young often congregate while the parents are out foraging for food. Gang-gangs are gregarious social birds and several pairs will often nest close together. Females lay up to three eggs and both parents will incubate and rear the young. They begin breeding at four years old and breed between October and January. They nest in deep hollows in trees and pairs will usually return to the same tree every year. Call a distinctive screech that sounds similar to the creaking sound of a door being opened. Females have a dark grey head and crest, with the feathers on the breast being edged yellow and pink. Males have a distinctive orange-red head with a small floppy red crest. Wings and upperparts of feathers a lighter pale-grey producing a barred appearance. ![]()
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