What do they look like?
The Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) are small for cockatoos, usually around 33-36 cm long. Male Gang-gang Cockatoos are easily distinguished by their wispy red crest, which looks like a feather duster. The dark red of their crest and head stands out against their slate grey bodies. This has given Gang-gangs the nicknames Red-headed Cockatoo and Red-crowned Cockatoo.
The females are not as brightly coloured as the males, and have a grey head and body with a barred breast and orange-red underparts. Female Gang-gang cockatoos can sometimes be mistaken for Galahs due to their colouring and small size.
Where are they found?
Gang-gang Cockatoos regularly visit backyards and parks in eastern Australia to feed on native and introduced tree and shrub seeds. They prefer eucalypts, wattles and introduced hawthorns and will also eat berries, fruits, nuts and insects and insect larvae. They are especially frequent visitors in Canberra, and as a reward for their loyalty have become the ACT’s animal emblem.
Gang-gang Cockatoos retreat to higher elevations to breed during the summer. They choose to live in mountains, alpine woodlands and tall wet forests and gullies, preferring heavily timbered and mature wet sclerophyll forests to build their home
Fast facts:
- Apart from softly growling while eating, Gang-gang Cockatoos communicate in an ‘er-eck‘ or a ‘gr-raer-iriek!‘ sound. These calls have been likened to the drawn out sounds of a cork being removed from a bottle, and a rusty hinge on a gate. These sharp and distinct sounds are characteristic of cockatoos, who are usually quite loud and gregarious.
- Gang-gangs spend most of their day feeding in trees, and sometimes also forage on the ground for fallen fruits or pine cones. Their diet is varied and adaptable, and includes native plant seeds, introduced plant seeds, berries, fruits, nuts and insect larvae.
Gang-gang Cockatoo – the full story
The Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) is a small cockatoo with the male displaying a very distinctive scarlet head and crest.
Gang-gang Cockatoos are small for cockatoos, usually around 33-36 cm long. The females are not as brightly coloured as the males, and have a grey head and body with a barred breast and orange-red underparts. Female Gang-gang cockatoos can sometimes be mistaken for Galahs due to their colouring and small size.
Gang-gang Cockatoos regularly visit backyards and parks in eastern Australia to feed on native and introduced tree and shrub seeds. They prefer eucalypts, wattles and introduced hawthorns and will also eat berries, fruits, nuts and insects and insect larvae. They are especially frequent visitors in Canberra, and as a reward for their loyalty have become the ACT’s animal emblem.
Male Gang-gang Cockatoos are easily distinguished by their wispy red crest, which looks like a feather duster. The dark red of their crest and head stands out against their slate grey bodies. This has given Gang-gangs the nicknames Red-headed Cockatoo and Red-crowned Cockatoo.
During the winter, when breeding season is over, Gang-gang Cockatoos can be found in the south-eastern parts of Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and South Australia. Gang-gang Cockatoos retreat to higher elevations to breed during the summer. They choose to live in mountains, alpine woodlands and tall wet forests and gullies, preferring heavily timbered and mature wet sclerophyll forests to build their homes.
Gang-gangs spend most of their day feeding in trees, and sometimes also forage on the ground for fallen fruits or pine cones. Their diet is varied and adaptable, and includes native plant seeds, introduced plant seeds, berries, fruits, nuts and insect larvae.
Apart from softly growling while eating, Gang-gang Cockatoos communicate in an ‘er-eck‘ or a ‘gr-raer-iriek!‘ sound. These calls have been likened to the drawn out sounds of a cork being removed from a bottle, and a rusty hinge on a gate. These sharp and distinct sounds are characteristic of cockatoos, who are usually quite loud and gregarious.
Try to plant some native plants so that Gang-gang Cockatoos have a quick meal close by. Some of their favourite foods are eucalypts and wattles.
Gang-gang Cockatoos love:
- Eating saw fly larvae. They are one of the few birds who enjoy eating these insects, and will eat large quantities at once.
- Gnawing on branches and the entrances of tree hollows to sharpen their beaks.
- Their nest hollows. They usually return to the same nest hollow year after year to raise their family.
But they don’t like:
- Their nest and food trees being cleared away. This forces Gang-gang Cockatoos to breed in unnatural hollows such as roofs and garages.
- Beak and feather disease (Psittacine cirovirus) is fatal to Gang-gangs. It is spread by contaminated nest chambers.
Be a Buddy to Gang-gang Cockatoos
Try to:
- Plant locally native plants that Gang-gang Cockatoos can eat from, such as sheoaks (casuarinas), eucalypts, and wattles.
- Be careful of low perched or low flying Gang-gangs when driving in areas with many trees, especially near hawthorns.
Avoid:
- Throwing away any woodchips – you can use them as mulch in your backyard and Gang-gangs will collect bits to use as lining for their nests.
- Spraying pesticides and chemicals in your garden. The pupae and maggots in acacia galls are a good food source for Gang-gang Cockatoos.
- Cutting down old or dead trees. These provide valuable nesting hollows to Gang-gang Cockatoos. Tree hollows usually only start to develop after 100 years.
Don’t be surprised if Gang-gang Cockatoos:
- Growl softly while eating. This just means the Gang-gang Cockatoo is very content while eating.
- Allow you to walk close enough to be able to touch them. They’re calm and social birds, and human company doesn’t bother them.
- Leave their chicks in a creche in a tree with many other Gang-gang youngsters. When parents go looking for food, often their babies will roost together in the same tree.
