Gang-gang cockatoo. Credit: June Anderson

This small dark grey cockatoo grows up to 35 centimetres and is usually seen in a pair. The male gang-gang has a distinctive bright red head and short curly crest, and is known for his ‘creaky gate’ call. This bird is listed as vulnerable in NSW.

Where

You’re most likely to see gang-gang cockatoos high up in the trees - look for falling twigs and chewed seed pods when you are walking through forested areas. Listen for their calls as they feed in tall trees or fly over at Green Patch.

Feeding

Gang-gang cockatoos chew apart seeds, berries, fruits and nuts and sometimes take insects and their larvae. They come to the ground only to drink and to forage among fallen fruits or seeds.

They favour eucalypts and the introduced hawthorn Crataegus. Outside of the breeding season they feed in flocks of up to 60 birds.

Breeding

The gang-gangs form a close, monogamous pair. The female chooses a deep nest hollow in a tall tree and both sexes prepare the nest for egg-laying, lining it with wood-chips and dust. Together they incubate the eggs and care for the young - look for family groups feeding together in the breeding season. Sometimes when several pairs have nested close together, their young will roost together in the same tree while their parents are foraging.

Sounds

Listen for a rusty hinge or creaky door call.