Cacatua galerita
Colourization Adult: C.g. galerita: both adults generally white, washed with pale yellow on ear coverts and bases of feathers of cheeks and throat; yellow crest; eye ring white. In male, eye dark brown, in female, red/brown. Bill slate grey. C.g. queenslandica: both adults as in galerita but smaller in size; bill broader, depressed and ridged. C.g. fitzroyi: both adults as in galerita but with minimal yellow on ear coverts and feathers of cheeks and throat; broader, very ridged bill. Eye ring pale blue. C.g. triton: both adults as in galerita but with wider crest feathers. Eye ring blue. C.g. eleonora: both adults as in triton but bill smaller. Colourization Juvenile: C.g. galerita: like adults but sometimes with scattered feathers washed with pale grey. Eye pale brown. C.g. queenslandica: as in adults. C.g. fitzroyi: as in adults. C.g. triton: as in adults. C.g. eleonora: as in adults. Call: Very loud, raucous, creaky sounding screech ending in upward or downward inflection. Also whistling. In alarm harsh gutteral screeches and shrill squawks. Perched birds may also produce low murmuring. Immatures emit a quiet, high-pitched whine, and a grating creaky call.
Not Threatened.
Colourization Adult: C.g. galerita: both adults generally white, washed with pale yellow on ear coverts and bases of feathers of cheeks and throat; yellow crest; eye ring white. In male, eye dark brown, in female, red/brown. Bill slate grey. C.g. queenslandica: both adults as in galerita but smaller in size; bill broader, depressed and ridged. C.g. fitzroyi: both adults as in galerita but with minimal yellow on ear coverts and feathers of cheeks and throat; broader, very ridged bill. Eye ring pale blue. C.g. triton: both adults as in galerita but with wider crest feathers. Eye ring blue. C.g. eleonora: both adults as in triton but bill smaller. Colourization Juvenile: C.g. galerita: like adults but sometimes with scattered feathers washed with pale grey. Eye pale brown. C.g. queenslandica: as in adults. C.g. fitzroyi: as in adults. C.g. triton: as in adults. C.g. eleonora: as in adults. Call: Very loud, raucous, creaky sounding screech ending in upward or downward inflection. Also whistling. In alarm harsh gutteral screeches and shrill squawks. Perched birds may also produce low murmuring. Immatures emit a quiet, high-pitched whine, and a grating creaky call.
Size: 50cm Adult Weight:815-975g
Taxonomy:
- Psittacus galeritus Latham, 1790, New South Wales. Alternative genus name Kakatoe now obsolete; official suppression proposed. Forms superspecies with C. sulphurea and C. ophthalmica. Four additional races (aruensis, macrolophus, kwalamkwalam, trobriandi) have been named from New Guinea and related islands, and another (rosinae) from mainland Australia, but none of these now considered valid. Four subspecies currently recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * triton Temminck, 1849 - New Guinea and surrounding islands. * eleonora (Finsch, 1867) - Aru Is. * fitzroyi (Mathews, 1912) - N Australia, from Fitzroy R in NW to Gulf of Carpentaria in NE. * galerita , 1790 - E & SE Australia from Cape York to Tasmania.
Found in variety of forest areas such as secondary growth, woodland (including swamp and riverine), mangroves, open country, agricultural land (including rice fields and palm plantations), savanna, mallee and suburban areas. Found up to 1500m in parts of Australia, 2400m in Papua New Guinea.
Forages on grasses and herbs. May take sprouting maize and wheat. Also feeds on harmful weeds such as cotton thistle. Other foods include: roots, rhizomes, nuts, berries, flowers, corms, blossoms and insect larvae.
2 to 3 elliptical eggs, 46.5 x 33.5mm Australia: May-August in the north, August-January in south; New Guinea all months except April, but mostly May-December.