Gang-gang Cockatoos
Male Gang-gang Cockatoo, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
During our visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra in January I was keen to get some photos of the local birds as well as add to my collection of flower and plant photos.
On my last visit some fifteen months previously I had seen and photographed a male Gang-gang Cockatoo. This is one delightful species that I’ve only seen on a handful of occasions previously. On this new visit I was on the lookout for them. I had heard several calling as I left the car park.
I was wandering through the northern part of the gardens looking out for birds and flowers to photograph. I was suddenly aware of a carpet of Acacia seed pods and leaves on the path at my feet. Looking up, I saw a female Gang-gang Cockatoo busily eating seeds no more than two metres above my head. She wouldn’t move in order to pose for me in the open; she must have been hungry.
Further reading: Gang-gang Cockatoo
Female Gang-gang Cockatoo, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Gang-gang Cockatoo
2007 Australian Capital Territory Trip report #8
During our visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra earlier this year I was delighted to see several Gang-gang Cockatoos. This is a species I do not see all that often because its range is nowhere near where I live.
Gang-gang Cockatoos are found in south eastern New South Wales, southern Victoria and occasionally in the extreme south east of South Australia. While not an abundant species like the Galah, for example, they are moderately common in suitable habitat.
The Gang-gang Cockatoo prefers forests and woodlands where there is more rainfall than on the plains. In the Great Dividing Range, they can be found from sea level through to about 2000 metres altitude. They also prefer timbered watercourses and valleys and can sometimes be found on farmlands and even in suburban gardens.
I’ve only see this species on a handful of occasions over the years. Many years ago when camping in the Snowy Mountains south-west of Canberra I remember an individual sitting in a pine tree eating seeds from the cones. All the parts of the cone he didn’t like were dropped like hail stones on to the top of our car. It is a wonder they didn’t leave any dents as some pieces were quite large.
On this occasion I had the frustration of trying to photograph these beautiful parrots. They seem to like sitting high in the canopy of the trees and not show themselves sufficiently for a good shot. Of the dozen or so photos I managed to get, only the one above was reasonable to show here. It shows a male; the female lacks the red feathers.