Little corellas
Little corellas are small native parrots that have adapted to living alongside humans in urban areas, and can congregate in large numbers during the warmer months.
While it's fascinating to spot these playful native birds up close, their growing presence in urban areas can sometimes lead to unwanted impacts. They can cause tree damage, and noise or mess from droppings and pruned branches.
This page will help you:
- Learn about little corellas and their behaviour
- Differentiate between little corellas and other cockatoo species
- Learn how little corellas can impact people, property and the environment
- Discover how to best live with little corellas and manage their impacts
About little corellas
The little corella is one of 14 species of cockatoo found in Australia, which includes long-billed corellas, sulphur-crested cockatoos and yellow-tailed black cockatoos.
In natural environments, little corellas prefer arid and semi-arid areas near permanent water sources, often seen foraging on open plains in large flocks.
As urban expansion affects their natural habitats, little corellas have adapted to human-modified environments which offer food, water and shelter.
Corellas prefer wide open spaces which provide clear visibility for predator detection and a source of food. This is why they can often be found in parks, ovals and backyards during their congregation. These expansive open areas lined by large trees offer shelter and resources, making them highly attractive to little corellas.
Little corellas are opportunistic feeders and are known to eat grains, grass seeds, bulbs and fruits where available. They also dig to access buried seeds and roots.
Breeding season is usually between May to October, beginning after a long period of rain. Little corellas pair for life and prefer to return to the same nesting hollow each breeding season.
They nest in large colonies, where several nests may be found in the same tree.
Little corellas have powerful high-pitched calls used to communicate with other birds over large distances. They use these calls to signal food availability or to warn of predators. Most of their calls involve ‘chit chat’ conversation and playing during feeding time at dawn and dusk.
Little corella impacts
Little corellas are loud and noisy when they roost in the evening and when they leave in the early morning, causing nuisance to nearby residents.
Their presence in large numbers sometimes result in fouled pathways, public grounds and private properties.
Little corellas chew on various materials - including tree bark, antennas, wiring, solar panels, light fixtures, irrigation systems, cabling and rubber (seals on window panels, windscreen wipers) – for mental stimulation and to maintain their beaks.
When they are present in significant numbers, this chewing can cause damage that is costly to repair.
Little corellas prune and strip tree canopies to create better visibility of their surroundings and to detect predators.
This causes significant tree defoliation that may lead to tree dieback. Tree branches often accumulate on the ground, causing a mess.
Large flocks of little corellas digging for bulbs may cause extensive damage to grassed parklands and playing fields, posing a trip hazard for visitors/users.
Little corellas may take grain from newly seeded paddocks or grain storages, as well as fruits from orchards.
Top tips for living with little corellas
Little corellas feed mostly on the ground and prefer a clear line of sight to feel safe from predators.
There are several ways you may be able to modify your environment to make it less appealing to little corellas.
Options include:
- placing screens or planting screening plants that block the line of sight at feeding or drinking locations
- planting small bushes and shrubs around the bases of roost trees, which may make little corellas feel uncomfortable, fearing approaching predators
- planting shrubs and complex understory using local native plant species
- planting dense reeds and rushes along banks of dams and lakes, and increasing bank height surrounding lakes and dams
- removing introduced species - such as Aleppo pines - that are favoured by little corellas and replacing them with less favourable local native trees
- covering or removing food and water supplies
- changing irrigation systems to turn on after dark wherever possible, adjusting hours according to daylight to minimise attraction during little corella congregation.
Where possible, protect easily chewed assets with metal shielding or piping, or look to exclude little corellas from the asset with caging, mesh or netting.
Remember to use wildlife friendly netting wherever possible.
There are a range of more invasive techniques that can be implemented to disturb little corellas, such as scaring them with noise or lights.
Visit managing little corellas for additional information.
Environmental law and little corellas
Little corellas are an unprotected species under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (NPW Act).
This means it is legal to shoot little corellas without a permit. A permit is required to destroy little corellas by any other means (not shooting).
All shooting must be done in compliance with other requirements of the NPW Act, the Animal Welfare Act 1985 and other relevant legislation, including those governing the use of firearms.
The Code of practice for the humane destruction of birds by shooting in South Australia provides guidance on suitable firearm and ammunition combinations for shooting little corellas.
It is important to distinguish between the unprotected little corella and the long-billed corella, which is a protected species in South Australia.
Wild facts
- There are three species of corella found in Australia – the little corella, long-billed corella and western corella.
- Long-billed corellas are more commonly found in southeastern Australia, while the western corella is only found in a small area of south-west Australia. Little corellas are widespread throughout Australia and are the most widely distributed of the three species.
- Little corellas can live up to 20 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity.
- Their beaks grow continuously, so corellas need to chew to maintain their beak at the right length and condition.
- Little corellas are naturally inquisitive, intelligent, sociable and playful. They are often seen hanging upside down, wrestling with each other, or swinging on perches by their feet or bills.
- The weed onion grass (Romulea rosea) is one of the corella’s favourite food – birds are often seen digging for bulbs, creating holes on the surface.
- Little corella’s are strong fliers and can travel great distances following seasonal food and water sources. They are known to fly up to 145 km between roosting and foraging sites.
- They need to drink water daily, so they are excellent indicators of where hidden water sources are, particularly in Australia’s arid areas.
