(Cacatua sanguinea)
Length: 36-39 cm Common
The Little Corella, also known as the Bare-eyed Cockatoo, Blood-stained Cockatoo, Short-billed Corella, Little Cockatoo and Blue-eyed Cockatoo is a white cockatoo native to Australia and southern New Guinea.
It was known as Birdirra among the Yindjibarndi people of the central and western Pilbara. They would keep them as pets, or traditionally cook and eat them. The downy feathers are used in traditional ceremonies and dances where they adorn heads and armbands.
It is one of four sub-species. 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 congregates in flocks of up to several thousand birds which often include many Galahs. The bird generally roosts in trees overnight and flies off to feed in the early morning and afternoon with almost deafening screeching. Breeding occurs August to October in the northern parts of its range and May to October in the southern areas. The nest is usually in a tree hollow, cliff cavity or termite mound.
It likes to feed on lawns and ovals, searching for seeds in the grass. They have conversations with each other and show off by hanging themselves upside down with their feet, beaks or both. One bird was seen hanging upside down on two wires with its feet and beak, letting its feet go and climbing up. Then it does it all over again the right way up and upside down in a spinning motion.
