• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HereBird.com | Pet Bird Care, Advice, Reviews & How-To Guides

Your ultimate resource for everything pet bird related! Expert information, tutorials and product reviews!

  • About  
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Editorial Policy
    • How We Review
    • Customer Service
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures
    • Contact
  • Cages  
    • Bird Cages
    • Aviaries & Enclosures
    • Plans for Building An Aviary
    • Other Topics
  • Accessories
  • Species
  • Health
  • Food
  • Training

HereBird is reader-supported. If you buy through links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. Learn more

Home  >  Types of Pet Birds

Galah Cockatoo aka Rose Breasted Cockatoo Guide: Prices, Lifespan

galah-cockatoo-featured

Information

The Galah Cockatoo is a parrot native to Australia which also goes by the name of the Rose Breasted Cockatoo. These social birds are part of the Cacatuidae family of birds and usually live in flocks and will bond as a pair for life. In addition to Eolophus Roseicapilla, there are 2 other subspecies of Galah Cockatoo called Albiceps and Kuhli.

They are found throughout most of Australia where their population numbers are numerous and they are not threatened in the wild. This habitat is mostly made up of shrubland, grassland and Australia bushland. The average size for a Galah is 35 cm and their average weight is 300g to 400g.

Table of Contents -->

  • Information
  • Facts
  • Behaviors
  • Care
  • Supplies
  • Colors
  • Sounds
  • Lifespan
  • Prices
  • Breeding
  • Diseases
  • As Pets
Galah Cockatoo
Galah Cockatoo

Facts

NamesGalah Cockatoo, Rose Breasted Cockatoo, Pink and Grey
Scientific nameEolophus roseicapilla
ColorsPink, grey, white
SizeAround 35 cm (13.8 inches)
WeightApproximately 300 to 400 grams (10.5 to 14 oz)
Lifespan40 to 50 years in the wild (70 to 80 years in captivity)
Price$2500 to $3500
Conservation Status (IUCN)Least Concern
DistributionAustralia
HabitatShrubland, grassland, bushland
FoodGrass, insects, seeds, berries
PersonalitySocial, loud, unpredictable, chewers
IntelligenceHigh
Noise levelsVery loud
Talking abilityGood
SubspeciesEolophus roseicapilla albiceps
Eolophus roseicapilla kuhli

Behaviors

Galahs, like other types of Cockatoo, are known to be highly intelligent birds with a loud vocal range. You might want to consider soundproofing if you have one as a pet. They are also large for parrots and have destructive behaviors.

This combination means that looking after a Galah cockatoo is quite difficult and only experienced bird owners should consider taking one on. As social birds, these creatures should ideally be kept in a pair or with a flock. Whilst their beaks are not as powerful as those of Macaws, they are still known to be chewers that will make short work of breakable items.

In comparison to other Cockatoo species, Galah’s are a bit more relaxed and affectionate. However, they’re still an energetic species of birds and their nipping behavior means they may not be suitable if you have small children.

Care

Galahs require a fair amount of exercise and time out of the cage to burn off their excess energy. With proper training, they can be taught words to speak and they will perform actions such as stepping up and doing basic tasks.

Their native habitat of Australia is dry and hot and you should replicate something similar in your own home. Try to keep the bird at a minimum of 21 degrees celsius, although a better temperature would be something warmer like 25 degrees celsius.

They need to be housed in a large cage, that has thick enough bars that they cannot chew, and small enough spacing so that they cannot fit through the gaps.

The cage environment should contain perches, toys, foraging items, swings and other objects to keep the birds entertained. You might also want to consider a small bathing area that allows the bird to wash. Perches of varying sizes and coarseness help the bird’s feet to remain healthy.

Supplies

Colors

Galah’s are distinguished by their rose colored chests that cover them from their feet all the way up to their necks and cheeks. The top part of their faces and heads are covered in white feathers. The remainder of their bodies, including their wings, backs and tail feathers are made up of light grey feathers. You can see one in action in the video below:

It can be difficult to see differences between the genders of these birds, but the male version of these parrots generally have darker irises.

The Albiceps subspecies of Galah looks slightly different as it has darker feathers behind the neck, whereas the Kuhli subspecies tends to be slightly smaller in size and be paler in color.

Sounds

Cockatoos are known as very loud birds and so as pets, they can be heard throughout the home. Their loud screeching sounds can be very off-putting to some people that own them. They can be trained to say a fair number of words. A Galah is too noisy to keep inside an apartment. To hear the different types of sounds that a Galah cockatoo will make, click on one of the audio files below:

Calls

Flight Calls

Singing

Noises

Lifespan

The average lifespan of a Galah cockatoo is quite long at 40 to 50 years in the wild. However, there are reports of this bird living even longer when properly looked after in captivity (70 to 80 years), so if you take on this bird, be prepared to look after it for the rest of your life.

Prices

The Galah Cockatoo is quite expensive to buy and you’re likely to pay $2500 to $3500 for a bird. This price may vary depending upon factors such as age, health, genetic lineage and distinguishing features on the bird.

When considering your purchase, also check first to see if you can adopt the bird. In addition to this, factor in the costs of cages, toys, perches, foods, insurance, and medical check-ups as well. The full costs of this bird can really start to add up.

Rose Breasted Cockatoo
Rose Breasted Cockatoo

Breeding

When a Galah lays a set of eggs there will usually be around 4 of them, which will incubate for 3 weeks and fledge after 2 months. In Australia this breeding season normally happens most frequently in August to October.

Diseases

Galah Cockatoos are often found to become obese in captivity. This is usually due to them being fed a poor diet of mostly high-fat seeds. Switching these birds to a pellet based diet should overcome most of these problems, plus providing them with a lot of exercise opportunities.

Galah’s will also become feather pluckers if they are not provided with enough attention. This also happens when they live in a bare, empty cage without proper toys and items to keep them entertained.

Pink and Gray Cockatoo
Pink and Gray Cockatoo

As Pets

A Galah Cockatoo isn’t a bird that should be taken on lightly. On the plus side, they are fun, energetic, inquisitive, social and playful. But on the downside they are very loud, demanding, destructive and will live for a long time. Think very carefully before taking on a cockatoo species of bird, but top bird owners may be able to take on the job.

Related Posts

  • Cockatoo Prices
  • Black Palm Cockatoo
  • Moluccan Cockatoos

Original image sources:

Photo by Rusty Clark ~ 100K Photos Photo by Peter_Mackey Photo by Tatters ✾

References and Citations:

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22684758/131874469
https://www.hbw.com/species/galah-eolophus-roseicapilla
https://www.hbw.com/ibc/species/galah-eolophus-roseicapilla
http://galah.galahs.com.au/
https://eol.org/pages/45511257

About HereBird Team

At HereBird.com, our goal is to help people to become better bird owners. Each content piece is authored by several people including professionals, avian experts & everyday pet owners. Find out more about us and what we do using the links below:

About · Our Team · Editorial Policy · How We Review · FAQ · Disclosures · Contact

Primary Sidebar

Types Of Pet Birds

Getting A Pet Bird

  • Quick Start Guide To Owning A Parrot
  • Bird Adoption
  • Quiet Pet Birds
  • Hypoallergenic Birds
  • How Long Do Parrots Live?
  • How Much Do Parrots Cost?
  • Species Compatibility
  • Bird DNA Testing
  • Best Pet Birds

Species Guides

African Greys

  • African Grey Parrot Prices
  • Congo African Grey
  • Timneh African Grey

Amazons

Caiques

Cockatiels

  • Cockatiel Prices
  • Lutino Cockatiels

Cockatoos

  • Cockatoo Prices
  • Black Palm Cockatoo
  • Galah Cockatoo
  • Moluccan Cockatoo
  • Triton Cockatoo

Conures

  • Cherry Headed Conures
  • Crimson Bellied Conure
  • Dusky Conure
  • Patagonian Conure
  • Sun Conure Price Guide
  • Jenday Conures
  • Nanday Conures
  • Green Cheek Conures
  • Prices for Green Cheek Conure

Eclectus Parrots

Finches/Canaries

  • Zebra Finch
  • Gouldian Finch
  • Gloster Canary

Hawk Headed Parrots

Lories/Lorikeets

  • Lorikeet Prices

Lovebirds

  • Peach Faced Lovebird
  • Black Masked Lovebird

Macaws

Mini Macaws
  • Hahn’s Macaw
Large Macaws
  • Blue and Gold Macaws
  • Harlequin Macaw
  • Military Macaw
  • Hyacinth Macaws
  • Hyacinth Macaw Prices
  • Scarlet Macaws

Parakeets

Small Parakeets
  • Bourke Parakeet
  • English Budgie
Large Parakeets
  • Alexandrine Parrots
  • Indian Ringneck
  • Blue Quaker Parrots
  • Red Rump Parakeets

Parrotlets

Pionus Parrots

Poicephalus

  • Meyer’s Parrot
  • Senegal Parrots

Rosellas

Topics

CAGES

ACCESSORIES

SPECIES

HEALTH

FOOD

TRAINING

Our #1 Bird Cage Recommendation


Prevue 3151 Wrought Iron Bird Cage
(with play stand and seed catcher)

LEARN MORE

Footer

Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate Herebird.com earns from qualifying purchases. HereBird.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
HereBird.com is also involved in various other affiliate programs, so when someone buys a product on a site we link to, we may receive a commission.

Connect

     

About · Our Team · Editorial Policy · How We Review · Customer Service · FAQ · Privacy Policy · Disclosures · Contact

Copyright © 2023 · HereBird.com All Rights Reserved · Log in