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Western Corella - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Mat & Cathy
Rocky Gully, SW Western Australia, April 2007
Cacatua pastinator

Identification

45cm.

  • overall white
  • lores orange/red
  • bases of feathers on head and mantle down to flanks washed with pink/orange.
  • eye ring grey/blue, bare. More extensive beneath the eye.
  • eye dark brown.
  • underparts, under wing and undertail are washed pale yellow
  • bill slender and horn-coloured with a long upper mandible: hooked
  • legs and feet grey

Sexes similar.

Similar species

Similar to Little Corella and Long-billed Corella where those species occur in South West Australia (especially Perth area).

Compared with Little, Western has (differences in descending order):

  • bill longer than little. Long-billed individuals of Little may approach the length of Western if Western's bill is worn
  • larger size (around 7 cm)
  • bases of the throat feathers more extensively red in Western (may be difficult to see)
  • crest is slightly longer than little, but the difference is not great
  • loral orange/pink is similar in both species but perhaps slightly more saturated and extensive in Western

See Long-billed Corella for comparison with that species.

Distribution

Australian endemic only found in Western Australia.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Photo by Neil
Sydney, Australia, November 2014

There are two subspecies

  • C. p. derbyi: Western Australia (Dongara to Moora and Quairading). [Smaller than pastinator]
  • C. p. pastinator: South-western Western Australia (Lake Muir and Unicup region). [Larger than derbyi]

Habitat

Near water courses, grassy woodlands and where seeding grasses are found.

Behaviour

Diet

They feed mainly on the ground; the diet includes cereal grains, grasses and exotic weeds, bulbs and germinating cereals, insects and their larvae.

Breeding

The nest is in a hole in tree, mainly in native Eucalyptus, lined with woodchips. 2 - 3 eggs are laid and are incubated for 22 to 26 days, by both parents. The young are cared for by both parents, and fledge at about 8 weeks.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

Recommended Citation

External Links

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