Little Corella

Abstract

People often ask me what does a Little Corella look like? The easiest way to describe to a lay person what a Little Corella looks like, is like a Galah, but white. Most people are familiar with the Galah, but on the other hand are not familiar with the Little Corella. The standard answer is usually a puzzled ' 'Oh!''

The Little Corella is very similar to the Galah in size and shape, but with basically snow white, immaculate plumage. The birds have grey feet, a horn colored bill, and a blue periophthalmic eye ring. Most specimens carry a tinge of reddish-pink feathering between the bill and the eye. Sometimes this extends to below the eye. The white plumage is suffused with lemon-yellow. This can be observed when the wing and tail feathers are outstretched in the threat pose, or while the bird is in flight.

The Little Corella's voice could be a drawback to those attempting to hold this species in suburbia and remain appeasing to the neighbors. It has a series of high pitched screeches and a waving wail which can be heard for many kilometers.

To accurately sex these birds, I suggest surgically sexing, a commonly performed operation these days. It should be performed by an avian veterinarian.

The Little Corella occurs over a vast area of mainland Australia, mainly the drier interior and to the northwest coast. They also occur in various subspecies to the islands to the north of Australia. There are also several subspecies on the mainland of Australia.

They can occur in massive flocks of literally thousands of birds, to sometimes a solitary pair. Man has cropped areas where the Little Corella is local and hence great conflict between man and bird occurs. When the birds attack this new found food source, it results in the death of thousands of birds per annum.

Little Corellas make very interesting pets either caged or at semifreedom; hand reared examples are fine for this. They become proficient talkers and will even learn basic tricks. Little Corellas, like all cockatoo species, are very intelligent parrots and therefore hand reared birds deserve extra treatment. Unfortunately because hand reared cockatoos often become imprinted on humans, i.e. they think that you are they, even down to treating a particular human as their partners. So they long for your company and attention which they will reciprocate if offered.

Little Corellas make excellent aviary inhabitants. As long as they are provided with timber perches to chew, a well balanced diet and fresh water, you can expect a pair to breed for 20 to 30 years. Once your pair is bonded, they will spend hours mutually preening and become totally devoted to each other. The young pair should be introduced as early in age as possible, say at 12 months or younger if possible. I would think that Little Corellas would commence to breed at around five years of age and continue to reproduce for the period of time mentioned before. Most white cockatoos have a similar life span to humans.

A suitable aviary would be 1.2 meters wide, 2.1 meters high, and 6 meters long, with a suitable hardwood perch secured at either end, steel tube construction, a shelter provided at least 1.8 meters deep and roofed to at least the same depth.

The walls could be completely covered in the same material as the shelter. The remainder of the roof should be covered with an opaque material. Mesh should be at least 3 to 4 mm in diameter, and 25mm by 25 mm square wire. A door could be provided, which could be the entire front of the enclosure.

A concrete floor is nearly essential to help cleaning of the aviary. It is also used to stop the Corellas from digging out and pests such as rats from digging in. The aviary should face north to northeast to take advantage of the morning sun.

Water can be provided in either an earthenware dish or an enamel dish with a capacity of 10 to 20 liters.

Seed could be supplied in a receptacle similar to an upside down garbage tin lid mounted clear of the ground. Seed can be supplied premixed. Suitable grains include sunflower, oats, barley, plain canary, or French white millet.

Greens can be supplied on an easily constructed mesh shelf hung on the inside of the front door. This will help keep the fresh green food off the floor. Sprouted seed can be given in an easily cleaned, small tray inside the larger seed tray.

Greens are appreciated all year round and can consist of heads of seeding grasses, or just a handful of clover, and fruits and vegetables. This additional food is almost imperative when the birds have young in the nest. From my 1981 diary notes, I see I fed a lot of milk thistle, apple, pumpkin and even the aforementioned handful of clover.

Particularly when the Corellas have young, they need the extra vitamins and minerals supplied from soaked and sprouted seed. Nothing "flash" need be soaked, just the normal dry seed mixed and soaked in water for 24 hours and then rinsed twice daily to keep it from going sour. If you wanted that little extra, some of the legume family could be soaked, e.g. Lupins, Field Peas, Mung Beans, etc. The soaked, sprouted seed can be fed to the birds after 24 hours or several days. Sprouted seed can be stored in the refrigerator, with checks being made to make sure it remains fresh.

 

 

 

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