What a head-dress! This is probably an old male. Female feeding on introduced hawthorn, Canberra, A.C.T.Ģ68201. The largest flock I ever saw was around the Blue Range Forestry Camp west of Canberra back in 1964 where there were nearly 300 birds.Ģ68001. Usually encountered in pairs or family groups when breeding, winter flocks normally number up to 30 or so. Their creaky-crackly calls, usually given in flight, do not carry very far. Gang Gangs are fairly quiet cockatoos and can easily be overlooked. They even nest on the slopes of Black Mountain quite close to the city centre. They are quite frequently seen around Canberra where they have taken to feeding on the berries of Cotoneaster and Crataegus bushes along the roadsides and visit peoples' backyards and feeders. Mainly found in NSW and Victoria, there is the odd record from far SE South Australia, Tasmania, and introduced to Kangaroo Island but extinct on King Island In NSW there are a couple of records of single birds from near Coffs Harbour and I saw a pair in montane forest near Ebor in 1967, but the principal range is from about the Hunter River southwards. If one of a pair dies, they are very selective about choosing another mate, usually only another one of their own community if one becomes available. Like Galahs, they are very loyal and pair for life. ![]() Once they are adult, which takes about three years, they would tend to stay in a permanent breeding territory for life, perhaps only moving locally in search of food. There does seem to be altitudinal movement in winter from the high country to the lowlands. They do move around in search of food but little is known about these movements - they are more likely to be younger birds. In southern states, outdoor caging must be protected from opossums to prevent exposure to the parasite Sarcocystis falcatula, which can result in a fatal lung infection.Gang Gangs are generally regarded as birds of the cold country - they are certainly abundant in places where there is snow in winter, but there are also smaller breeding populations in lowland and coastal forests. Gang-gang chicks are often afflicted with rickets. High-protein, high-fat diets may be needed. Ideally, chicks should be parent reared to avoid imprinting. Gang-gangs are difficult to hand-rear this should only be attempted by very experienced hand-feeders. Incubation period is approximately 27 to 30 days. ![]() A suspended cage is recommended, suggested size is 10 feet by 5 feet by 5 feet. Clutch size is typically two to three eggs. Breedingīreeding age is 4 to 5 years, but gang-gangs are difficult to breed in captivity. ![]() Supplementation with cooked meats may be important for breeders. Also offer two or three nuts, such as almonds, filberts or macadamias daily. Feed approximately 1/3 cup of formulated diet and 1/3 cup of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. They should be fed a formulated (pelleted or extruded) diet supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables daily to add variety and psychological enrichment. Gang-gang cockatoos are efficient in using calories and are not likely to become obese. Gang-gangs and other cockatoo species can be very long-lived (probably around 50 years), but their precise life span is unknown. They are very destructive if allowed to perch on furniture and should be provided with toys, blocks of wood or branches of nontoxic trees. They are inquisitive and love to chew objects in their surroundings – their beaks were designed for chewing trees and are very powerful. They are relatively quiet, save for a pleasant squeaky call. Still, the birds are very tame and gentle by nature. Their rarity outside of Australia makes it unlikely they will be available for pets. Immature are like females with some red showing on head. Scalloping in the female is yellow orange. Both have scalloping which is faint in the male. Gang-gangs have a wispy recurved crest that is bright red in the male and gray in the female. Gang-gangs are not common captivity, except in zoos and specialized private collections. The Gang-gang cockatoo is a charming small gray cockatoo similar in size to the Rose-breasted cockatoo. Gang-gangs are found in the coastal highland forests of southeastern Australia, inhabiting eucalyptus forests, especially along rivers, and feeding on seeds of eucalyptus and other trees, the larvae of wood- boring insects and pyracantha seeds and berries. Both have scalloping, which is faint in the male, yellow-orange in the female. The gang-gang cockatoo ( Callocephalon fimbriatum) is a charming small gray cockatoo similar in size to the rose-breasted cockatoo.
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