Gang-gang Cockatoo

Click on image to hear the call

The Gang-gang Cockatoo is such a distinctive and appealing bird that it is the faunal emblem for the ACT. It is part of the logos of both Canberra Ornithologists Group and Environment ACT.

Gang-gang Cockatoos are often seen in the gardens of Canberra's inner suburbs, particularly those near the bushland reserves of Black Mountain, Aranda and Mt Ainslie. They are usually found in pairs or small parties feeding on cotoneaster or pyracantha berries, or on the cones of cypress. The Gang-gang is one of the few birds that feed on saw fly larvae and may work through a whole clump, one grub at a time.

Gang-gangs are more often recorded in autumn and winter since most birds leave in spring to breed in the surrounding ranges. Some birds stay to breed locally. The Gang-gang population dropped to a low in 1987-1989, recovered to the highest level so far recorded in 2004. Breeding records are also increasing, most sightings being of dependent young. R=24 BR=26.

Gang-gang Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum

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