Did you know that the rose-breasted cockatoo can reach 70 years old? These magnificent gray and pink parrots are incredibly smart, talkative, and sweet, which are only a few of the reasons they make great pets. In addition to their long lifespans and intelligence, these cockatoos are considered hardy birds able to survive in the tough Australian outback. Commonly called the galah cockatoo, learn all about their care and why they make such wonderful pets.
Getting to Know the Rose-Breasted Cockatoo
The galah, or rose-breasted cockatoo, might not be the most popular pet cockatoo, but they’re certainly beautiful. These parrots are also the ultimate attention-seekers! To understand the needs of this parrot, it’s important to peek into their history. The name “galah” means pink and gray cockatoo in Aboriginal. Interestingly, galah is also a slang word used in Australia to describe silliness, which is believed to stem from the clumsy behavior of this little cockatoo.
As a resilient bird, the galah cockatoo is native to the dry and harsh Australian wilderness. While they’re able to adapt to their surroundings relatively quickly, galahs require time, affection, and care from their owners to thrive in captivity. Rose-breasted cockatoos are common pets in Australia but rarer in other parts of the world, such as the U.S. and Africa. Because they are Australian natives, regulations prohibit the export of these birds to other countries. If you are interested in keeping the galah cockatoo as a pet, take some time to learn about their general care.
1. The Rose-breasted Cockatoo Needs a Spacious Cage
Rose-breasted cockatoos grow to 15 inches in height, and at their heaviest, they can weigh 14 ounces. While not the biggest cockatoo, they still require a fairly spacious bird cage to fly and perch in. The galah’s cage should be a minimum of four feet high, four feet wide, and at least 10 feet long. While they won’t be spending hours cooped up in their enclosure, the cage should give them enough space to jump between perches. Investing in a sturdy welded wire cage is best because occasional chewing won’t damage it. The benefit of purchasing a galvanized wire mesh cage is that it can last for more than 30 years with little maintenance. That’s almost half the lifespan of the galah cockatoo!
In terms of accessories, always add perches to encourage exercise and flooring that provides grip for the galah’s feet. A washable mat is a good choice with access to grit to aid digestion. Some keepers add a thin layer of sand to the bottom of the cage, but there is the risk of birds inhaling the particles.
2. Feed Your Bird a Varied Diet
In their natural environment, rose-breasted cockatoos eat seeds, insects, and grasses. But in captivity, you need to provide a nutritional diet that includes pellets and fresh greens. Half of the cockatoo’s diet should consist of a balanced pellet formula, and the remainder should include fruits and vegetables. To start, introduce a small portion of fruit and veggies to your pet parrot to determine which greens they enjoy and to prevent wastage. Provide vegetables such as cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, pumpkin, kale, and green beans. Add a variety of fruits, including berries, apples, peaches, bananas, and pears.
You can provide sunflower seeds as the occasional bird treat, but if you decide to offer fresh seeds, it should be a coarse-grain mix. Corn, wheat, sorghum, oats, hulled oats, safflower, and sunflower seeds are ideal mixes for these beautiful birds.
3. Rose-breasted Cockatoos Need Exercise
The rare rose-breasted cockatoo is an active parrot that thrives on constant physical affection. You simply cannot leave your cockatoo in their cage for hours on end because long periods of confinement create stress in birds. An inability to spread their wings and move around further increases their risk of avian obesity. To manage their health, they require a few hours of exercise every day by spending time outside of their enclosure.
In addition to exercising their legs and feet, all cockatoos exercise their beaks, too. This means providing suitable bird toys, such as wooden blocks, ropes, and leather accessories, to satisfy their desire to chew. The pink and grey cockatoo needs enrichment, or it will become bored and destructive. Freedom outside of the cage and toys to play with will go a long way toward preventing noisy and aggressive bird behaviors.
4. Handle Your Cockatoo for a Few Hours
Galah cockatoos are very social birds, and they love affection from their family. Without touch and gentle play, these parrots will become anxious and depressed. Provide your pink and grey cockatoo with at least two hours of handling daily. These striking parrots build strong bonds with regular interaction.
Because galah cockatoos overstep their loving boundaries, stroking their backs and heads should be kept to a minimum. Unfortunately, stroking these areas signals mating behavior, which may lead to a new set of problems you simply don’t want to deal with. Introduce toys, socialize them with friends and family, and give them enough time outside of their cages to prevent bad behavior.
The Galah Cockatoo – Final Thoughts
While galah parrots may be a dime a dozen in Australia, they are quite rare outside of their home country. If you really want to own one of these birds, you’ll have to research reputable bird breeders and exotic pet stores. This includes safe shipping options if you cannot find them in your region. It may be costly and time-consuming to source a rose-breasted cockatoo, but you won’t be disappointed. These birds are loving, devoted, and so intelligent you can teach them to speak and perform tricks. Because they’re smaller than a regular cockatoo, they need a smaller cage, which means fewer expenses.
The rose-breasted cockatoo averages 40 years, but some can live up to 70 years of age. They are a lifelong pet, so be sure to make provision for their present and future needs. The galah cockatoo is sure to reward you with dedication, loyalty, and love.
