Galah appreciation post

[Featheredsamurai]

Copperarabian [I love this thread] I see its older. Question for you galah owners. My Jennifer was the only bird out of all the birds Ive owned. That would do things on a verbal command without any hand jestures.Like I would say turn on the music,before I could finish she was dancing.You could hand her a ring and she would toss it back.I I mentioned to my girls [kids] lets play with her and she would find a ring in her cage.I would ask to see her wings and she would whip them out. Does anyone elses bird due this?

I have Rosie trained to respond to both hand hand cues and verbal cues. She isn't to the point of Jennifer though, and for Rosie it depends on her mood too. If she's showing off she will respond very well to verbal cues because she is showing off and excited.

 

[Sungazer]

I am surprised you say Galahs may be aggressive towards a mate. This must be a captive breeding situation which I have no experience in at all.

Galahs in the wild are one of the few birds who mate for life. Unlike the white cockatoos you will hardly if ever see a lone galah they are always in pairs. normally small groups of even numbers paired up maybe 8 or so.

In the grain growing areas I believe the flocks are much larger.

I have heard stories of when one of the pair is killed that the other does not leave the site or side of its mate for days.

I will post a few pictures of the small flocks that come by our place some time.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

@sungazer

It is a captive bird problem.

Cockatoos in the wild have the option of having a break from their mate, even if it's only flying up into a nearby tree. Parrots in a breeding situation rarely are given the space to get a little space. This causes cockatoos to be one of the few parrots known for domestic violence. There nest boxes need two entrances to allow the female to escape the male, but even this doesn't always save her(or him, but normally the male is more aggressive). Some male cockatoos have their wings clipped, and even their lower mandible split to protect the female, which is cruel.

I know of a breeding galah pair who had been together for 14 years, then suddenly the male attacked the female and killed her. and there is a endless stream of incidents were similar events happen, causing injury and even death.

 

[Birdboy]

They get along beautifully with other birds. Of course there are always exceptions and some are grumpy little a-holes LOL
But in the wild they are probably the most naturally hybridising species of parrot I can think of. Galah x corella and even galah x major mitchel have been spotted in the wild. Galah x corella species are common enough I have seen a few in person.

They seem to fairly easily hybridise in captivity as well. Cockatiel x galah, sulfur crested x galah, little corella x galah, long billed corella x galah and major mitchel x galah are all currently advertised in various pet classifieds right now.

Photos from classifieds (note: these photos are for information only, I am in no way promoting the breeding of hybrids for profit).

Galah x little corella

(adult colour)

Galah x Long billed corella

Galah x cockatiel (don't have an adult picture available but they go orangish)

Galah x sulfur crested

Galah x major mitchell

(image is small cause ad no longer exists)

And a wild adult hybrid at a bird feeder... contrary to popular belief, they do indeed survive to adulthood but I have never seen them with a bonded partner.

In other news... I got DNA results back and my Manny, is a girl. She has been renamed "Mana" because I have been calling her Mana Bird anyway (we are gaming nerds).

That first pic looks exactly like the shop i got keiko from. 'Crystal pet and wire centre'

 

[gypsyqueen135]

I got Pono from Craigslist he is 5 years old I took him to the vet he was severely under weight my husband brought him from California I opened the cage he jumped on my shoulder and it was love. He gained 43 grams in 2 weeks because he was raised on sunflower seeds I did all blood work and cultures at the vet he is healthy now and learning to eat good food. I'm clicker training him which is fun and he does not like men but getting much better. I agree this birds are so sweet and loving to there people and just so beautiful to look at.

 

[Sungazer]

A couple of pictures of some Galahs hanging around the house the other day. not often I have a camera with me.