As per my promise to Professor Drabik, I present to the class a picture of a galah, the Australian bird. It’s a type of cockatoo, which is an equally ridiculous name as “galah” is. Although they may look like brightly colored birds of paradise, they’re the equivalent of pigeons in Australia. They can be found absolutely everywhere, and are usually considered as pests, who eat fruit from gardens and raise high hell every morning with their screeching. However, despite being considered a pest, the galah is a begrudgingly allowed guest in most gardens. This is because, at the end of the day, it’s one of the few examples of Australian natural wildlife that has adapted well to the modern world. Unlike dingos, kangaroos, white cockatoos and dozens of other native fauna, galahs have actually expanded their territory, and have yet to be outnumbered by pigeons, or killed off by a combination of felines and humans. Australia’s native animals have fared terribly through the past two centuries, but the galah is a rare symbol of adaption, however ridiculous its name may be.
