Galah Temperature Adaptation

The galah is a cockatoo found only in Australia. Like many Australian animals, it has evolved to cope with extreme temperatures. It has pink and gray plumage and lives in flocks, forming pairs in the breeding season. When Europeans settled Australia and cleared land for the planting of cereal crops, the species' range increased and the birds learned to feed on grain as well as their usual diet of seeds, nuts, berries, roots, and leaf buds.

  1. Habitat

    • Galahs can experience heat stress and lack of water during the hot Australian summer, especially in the open, non-forested land that is their normal habitat. Even when birds do have access to water, in the Australian interior the water sometimes is contaminated with dissolved salts from the soil. As a result, galahs have developed several adaptations that help their metabolism function despite extreme conditions.

    Water and Salt Excretion

    • When water is in short supply birds, like other animals, will become dehydrated. If this happens, it is important that the correct levels of water and salt are restored or the birds' metabolism will not be able to function. Galahs are able to produce very concentrated urine when suffering from dehydration and, like other similar species of birds, have developed the ability to absorb water and salts from their urine. This happens in the cloaca, which is the opening through which birds pass urine and feces, reproduce, and lay eggs.

    Evaporation

    • Where water is in plentiful supply but temperatures are high, galahs can cool themselves effectively through panting and holding their wings out from their bodies. This allows water to evaporate from the exposed areas and cool the birds down. Galahs have been observed coping with temperatures of 118 degrees Fahrenheit while exhibiting this behavior. Even where cooling is not completely successful, galahs can tolerate higher than normal body temperatures.

    Salty Water

    • Australia is a notoriously dry continent, and where inland lakes exist, they can sometimes contain water contaminated with salt. While it would be dangerous for other animals to drink this water because it would make them dehydrated, galahs can drink it and not only survive, but rehydrate themselves too.