The Galah

I am defaulting onto describing Aussie wildlife, so I really believe this is the thing I love the most about this country. And who wouldn’t love wildlife here, when its variety, uniqueness of some members, and abundance are the essential features? Galah is the best example to support my three claims. This parrot is a pink and grey cultured cockatoo that has three sub-species (variety!), Eastern, Western and Northern. The name galah has the origin in Yuwaalaraay, the Aboriginal language spoken in Southeast Australia. Uniqueness? Well, if not the striking appearance that combines elegantly pink and grey, then the fact that is an intelligent bird that took advantage of the deforestation done by the European settlers in Oz and spread to new territories, thus not only surviving better but expanding its habitat. Their diet is also varied, including seeds, grasses, insects, larvae and green shoots and leaf buds. Galahs are highly intelligent, social and make good pets. And about abundance, this is a fact I am grateful for: galahs can be found in every location and state of Australia. We saw them in the middle of the dessert, but close to some source of water, and we see them come eat the birdseed we hang in our garden for the lorikeets (Melbourne suburb). They enchanted us in Tasmania and in Darwin, basically, everywhere!