At times they just feed quietly on gum nuts in the upper foliage and you only notice them from the sound of the pattering of gum nut fragments as you walk underneath.

Although they often move about in groups, unlike the other more noisy cockatoos they are often fairly quiet. Mostly mild grey in colour with some lighter scalloping, the male has a red head and crest, while the female has.

It is the only species placed in the genus Callocephalon. The species is readily distinguished from other cockatoos of similar size: males are slate grey with a scarlet head and a wispy scarlet crest females have a grey head and crest, and the feathers on the underparts are edged with salmon pink. Callocephalon fimbriatum ( Grant, JE 1803) The gang-gang cockatoo is a parrot found in the cooler and wetter forests and woodlands of Australia, particularly alpine bushland. One of its distinctive calls is a creaking sound that identifies it easily. The Gang-gang Cockatoo ranges in length from 32 to 37 cm, with a wingspan of 62 to 76 cm (Higgins 1999). There have been a few isolated examples of hybridisation with Galah and one with a Little Corella.Īnd as an inhabitant of the forests, it is often heard before it is seen. In spite of their colour, they are more closely related to Galahs than they are to the Black Cockatoos. Taxonomically they are in a separate genus from the other cockatoos (Callocephalon). Males can be distinguished by their distinctive red head with its wispy crest. Unlike other members of the cockatoo family who stand out with their colour and raucous noise, the Gang Gang can be quite unobtrusive with its overall grey plumage. Gang Gang Cockatoo ( Callocephalon fimbriatum) We are blessed to have the brilliant Jane Rusden and Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing about our next bird of the month, accompanied by Janes’s stunning photos. The Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) is seen infrequently in most places and its poulation decline of over 70 in the last few years has caused it to be a strong contender as an endangered species. We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community. Most people recognise a cockatoo, and Gang-gang cockatoos are a seen across many parts of south-eatstern Australia. Each month we’re taking a close look at one special local bird species. Male gang-gang cockatoo.Welcome to Bird of the month, a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Bird Life East Gippsland meet weekly for Monday morning outings.Ĭheck their Facebook page for more information. Cockatoos are highly social animals that gather in large flocks. The largest species is the great black or palm cockatoo, which can measure up to 30 inches in length. With publicity and increased survey effort, good numbers have been found since the bushfires. The typical cockatoo species can measure anywhere between 12 and 24 inches in length and weigh up to a few pounds or about the size of a table lamp. Numbers were impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires and the species has been declared endangered.Ī Bushfire Recovery Project saw communities put a great effort into planting 7500 trees. Gang-gang cockatoos are adversely affected by land clearing and the removal of mature trees (potential breeding hollow sites). Both sexes share incubation duties and care for the young. Both sexes prepare the nest by chewing on the sides of the hollow and use the wood chips and fragments to line the nest. They nest in hollows of trunks or limbs of large, tall eucalypt trees, usually near water. Gang-gang cockatoos are monogamous and form strong pair-bonds. They spend most of their time foraging in tree canopies, coming to the ground only to drink and to search among fallen fruits or pinecones. They will also eat berries, fruits, nuts and insects and their larvae.

They feed mainly on seeds of native and introduced trees and shrubs, with a preference for eucalypts, wattles and introduced hawthorns. At this time, they may be seen by roadsides and in parks and gardens of urban areas. In winter they move to lower altitudes into more open woodlands. During summer, they can be found in tall mountain forests. The gang-gang cockatoo can be seen throughout many parts of south-eastern Australia. Spotted Pardalote heard several times on the recording. Recording of birds as flying off from a quick stop in tall eucalypts on fringe of rainforest. In appropriate habitat 350m asl on Berry Mountain. Their call is similar to the sound of a creaking gate. 18 male and female Gang-gangs were seen in flight and perched. A social but relatively quiet cockatoo, they can be located in food trees by the soft growling sounds they make while feeding. Females have a grey head and crest with feathers edged with salmon pink. ONE of the more distinctive members of Australia’s birdlife is the gang-gang cockatoo.Ī short, small and stocky slate-grey bird, the males have the scarlet head and wispy crest.

Gang gang cockatoo location