Little Corella

Appearance

The little corella is a small white cockatoo growing to 35–41 cm in length and weighs 370–630 g, with a mean weight of 525 g. It is similar in appearance to both the long-billed corella and the western corella, but the little corella is smaller, and unlike either of those species, it has upper and lower mandibles of similar length. It is easily distinguished from the long-billed corella by the lack of an orange throat bar. "C. s. normantoni" and "C. s. normantoni" are a little smaller than the nominate form. "C. s. normantoni" is lightly brownish on the underside of flight and tail feathers. "C. s. gymnopis" has darker blue eye-rings, more strongly marked pink lores and a yellow wash to the lower-ear coverts. Females are slightly smaller than males in weight, wing length, culmen size, tarsus length, tail length and eye ring diameter.

Distribution

The nominate form, "C. s. sanguinea" is found in Northern Australia. "C. s. normantoni" is found on the Western Cape York Peninsula. "C. s. transfreta" is found in New Guinea. "C. s. gymnopis" is found in Central, Eastern, and South-eastern Australia.

Behavior

Little corellas congregate in flocks of up to several thousand, which often include other birds such as galahs, sulfur-crested cockatoos and red-tailed black cockatoos. They generally roost in trees overnight, and fly off to feed in the early morning before returning in the late evening. Flocks will often fly many kilometers between their feeding and roosting areas, and in desert areas must also fly to watering holes twice a day, while corellas which live in coastal areas do not have to fly long distances to find water.

Habitat

Habitat ranges from the arid deserts of central Australia to the eastern coastal plains, but they are not found in thick forests. Little corellas can also be found in urban areas, including Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane, where they feed on lawns and playing fields.

Reproduction

Breeding occurs from May to October, and usually takes place earlier in the north of its range. The nest is usually in a tree hollow, cliff cavity or termite mound.

Food

Little corellas usually feed on the ground, however occasionally feed in trees and shrubs. They eat a variety of both wild and cultivated seeds and regularly feed on lawn grasses in urban areas. They frequently feed on cereal crops such as wheat, barley and maize and can become a considerable agricultural pest in some areas.