Pink Mink Corellas Print | Helen Ansell

This features a Butler’s Corella. The adult bird is 40-18 cm (16-19 in) in length and weighs up to 700 grams (25 oz). This sub-species consists of a population of 5,000-10,000 birds in the northern wheat-belt of Western Australia, where their numbers are increasing. Their habitat comprises undulating land with more than 90% of native vegetation cleared for farming of wheat and sheep, the remaining woodland and shrub vegetation communities are restricted to small isolated patches and road reserves; a setting in which these birds thrive. Breeding occurs from May to October, and usually takes place earlier in the north of its range. The nest is typically in a tree hollow, cliff cavity or termite mound. When the nestlings are mature enough the family group join up with the immature flocks and move to summer feeding locations, often in towns. From January to March, when the young have been weaned, the parents move back to the breeding grounds, again becoming separate from the immature flocks. Corellas eat a variety of both wild and cultivated seeds. Most individuals display an attachment to their natal area.