Who's a pretty boy? The gang-gang cockatoo

@JudyEv (382656)
Rockingham, Australia
February 4, 2019 5:07pm CST
One of the birds we saw at the Peel Zoo on our house-boat trip was the gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum). It is one of the emblems of the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra). The name is intriguing for a start and is believed to come from a New South Wales aboriginal language, describing its distinctive call. Wikipedia says the name is onomatopoeic but then describes the call as resembling a creaky gate or the sound of a cork being pulled from a wine bottle, neither of which sound like each other to my mind and neither of which sound anything like gang-gang! However, moving on….. The gang-gang is found in the cooler, moist forests and woodlands of Australia and is mostly grey. The male has a red head and crest and the female has a small fluffy grey crest. The females carve out nesting cavities with their strong beaks. It is said to be the most primitive looking cockatoo of all the species. My photo from the zoo isn’t very good so I’ve used one that Vince took at a bird park further north.
18 people like this
20 responses
@rebelann (117281)
• El Paso, Texas
4 Feb 19
They are beautiful. I'll have to look them up on youtube, maybe there is a video of one of them. Look what I found.........
2 people like this
@rebelann (117281)
• El Paso, Texas
6 Feb 19
You are welcome @JudyEv I really liked the way they sounded, they are so cute.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
Oh wow. Isn't that great? Thanks for sharing it. And one lands on the camera or on the guy's arm or whatever. And so many of them! That's amazing.
1 person likes this
@Janet357 (75638)
5 Feb 19
Oh ms. Judy i love this bird. I saw this in the pictures and i told myself i want this for myself. Just look at how gorgeous it is.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
They are very pretty aren't they? I would like to see them in the wild. Rebelann has put a link to a YouTube clip which shows dozens of them.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
@Janet357 They are listed as vulnerable in New South Wales but 'of least concern' elsewhere.
1 person likes this
@Janet357 (75638)
5 Feb 19
@JudyEv are they endangered now?
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
5 Feb 19
It always made me wonder how animals could possibly be given such gorgeous colors with no help from an artist... lol... Just look at this pair!!
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
5 Feb 19
@JudyEv Now you really do think that someone got out some paints and then gave him a makeover wouldn't you!!! He's awesome!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
They are gorgeous aren't they? Have you seen a mandarin duck? I don't think there is a single colour that you can't find on it.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
4 Feb 19
Beautiful redhead!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
6 Feb 19
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
6 Feb 19
@JudyEv No grey head, either!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
He certainly is! Bound to attract the ladies, that one.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
5 Feb 19
Very pretty birds.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
7 Feb 19
@JudyEv Yes, it does seem that way. Female birds colors seem dull in comparison.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Feb 19
It's always the males that get the best colours isn't it?
1 person likes this
• Santiago, Chile
5 Feb 19
I have never seen a cockatoo in person before, but If I did I would be impressed by it. By the way, are they big? Nice photo Judy!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Feb 19
@jvicentevalera We have some very colourful parrots and cockatoos.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
They are small but stocky. My bird book says they are about 35 cm in length.
1 person likes this
• Santiago, Chile
5 Feb 19
@JudyEv Aww Hopefully one day I see one of those, thanks for the info anyway Judy! I appreciate it!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153529)
• India
5 Feb 19
Cute birds These are not seen in our garden
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
They are only found in the wild on the east of Australia.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
5 Feb 19
Definitely a pretty bad boy for a rooster I think.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
It's always the males that are the prettiest.
@wolfgirl569 (136063)
• Marion, Ohio
5 Feb 19
Those are cute.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
The topknot is pretty.
@sol_cee (38669)
• Philippines
6 Feb 19
Must be a peacock’s cousin? lol
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Feb 19
Yes, it could well be although I think peacocks have the edge.
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
5 Feb 19
A beautiful bird.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
I haven't seen these in the wild yet.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
5 Feb 19
The male red is to attract the ladies!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
In the bird world, it's always the males that get the pretty colours.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (21492)
• London, England
6 Feb 19
The only thing I know about cockatoos and similar birds is that they are very noisy!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Feb 19
That's so true. Incredibly noisy. I would never want one.
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
4 Feb 19
Love the red head.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
And the topknot is top-notch too!
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
5 Feb 19
1 person likes this
@MGjhaud (23228)
• Philippines
4 Feb 19
Interesting name. The only bird from the same species I know is the hanging parrot. We call it "kulasisi" and they're more colorful than this one.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
5 Feb 19
Cockatoos a so neat! I have never seen one that looked like this before. By what you wrote I can tell the one I can see the face of in this photo is the male.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
That's true. The males get all the good colours in the bird world.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209214)
• United States
4 Feb 19
Cockatoos are some very smart birds.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
They are and most make good talkers too.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
4 Feb 19
That is a very pretty pair, and those sounds are two very distinctive sounds and I agree with you, not alike.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
It seems a pretty pointless exercise to try to describe a bird's cry. I think they sound completely different to different people. But I guess the bird experts need to try to help us amateurs out.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111937)
• United States
4 Feb 19
boy they are chubby ones there?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
They are short and stocky it seems - and these ones are well fed, I'd say.
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
4 Feb 19
They look so beautiful. Are there so many of them still in existence?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Feb 19
In one state they are listed as vulnerable but otherwise they are 'of least concern'.