The Gang-gang Cockatoo is the Australian Capital Territory Bird Emblem.
They are small, stocky Cockatoos measuring about 35 centimetres, the male has a bright red head and crest and a smoky grey body while the female is grey all over.
They have a very distinctive call, which has been described as sounding like a creaky gate.
Gang-gangs feed mainly on seeds of trees and shrubs, especially eucalypts and wattle. They will also eat berries, fruits, nuts and insects.
Breeding time is usually between October and January.
Two eggs are usually laid and both sexes share sitting on the eggs for about 30 days and then both parents care for the young.
They form monogamous pairs and usually mate for life.
Found in south eastern Australia, including southern Victoria, eastern New South Wales to the tablelands and south coast and the Australian Capital Territory.
The Gang-gang Cockatoo was proclaimed the Australian Capital Territory Bird Emblem in 1997
Go to next bird page: Major Mitchell Cockatoo
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"The Legend of Bimi"
Introduction
There's a tale that begins in the sand hills
That I would like to tell,
Built from myth and many legends,
And my pen it does compel.
The desert's a hot, a hostile place,
Nothing's changed since time began,
There's a hazy unreality there
As if it, in the dreamtime was planned.
The noon of the day is so hot and still,
And over all an expectant hush,
Like a canvas that's waiting impatiently
For the touch of the artists brush.
The fire of the day can change swifly
To the night of startlingly cold,
Many legends are told of the people
Who live in this land so old.
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"The Legend of Bimi" just go to our
Epic Poetry page
We know you will love it!