Can you tell which of my galah's this is? Bandit or Ace? Look close, and read the titles after you've made your guess. Study the picture as long as you need to make your evaluation. You'll get better by the end of the post. 

Photo by Dave Womach Location: Florence, SC Which galah: Read on to find out (don't want to make cheating easy!)

This galah has always had the red around his eyes. He grew up with natural sunlight, aviaries, the like. His brother wasn't so lucky and didn't get sunlight as often as he needed it until later... which means this galah's eyes just always tend to look redder. More bumpy. Brighter. His eyes are sweet, softer, and look at you with intent. He has a sideways glance that is picture perfect and poses this pose for the camera every time! This is Bandit. He will lean into you if you're close, he likes to lean... he's naturally curious and likes to get real close... and he recently lost his nail so if you are really paying attention, you'll notice the little stub. 

Let's see if you can guess this next one right based on the information I gave you about both galahs... 

Which galah is Ace in the below photo?

Photo by Dave Location: Fayetteville, NC Shown: Galahs (but still not telling who)

If you think Ace is the top galah, keep studying. If you think he's the bottom, keep looking close. Look closer.

Ace isn't in that photo. It's Bondi, my female, on top (white around the eyes, brown eye color) and Bandit on the bottom. Bandit is showing his puffyness, looking a bit poofy. He sits more fluffed, more content looking on an average day. His head feathers are more likely to be puffed out and about, easily going into a crest. 

Photo by Dave Location: Fayetteville, NC Shown: Galahs (still gotta guess)

Slicked back head feathers, and kind of a hunch. He is an odd flyer; he flies differently than the other two galahs. Almost like he doesn't know what to do with his tail, and almost like he has bad posture. I notice more white on him too, on his head feathers being lighter, his eyes being lighter (just around them... the red isn't as bright, but the white is brighter)

He holds his head and neck longer, or at least it appears that way because of the "hunch" he has most of the time.

Yep, this one's Ace. 

Photo by Dave Womach Location: Fayetteville, NC Checkin' things out: Male galah (guess who!) 

Sometimes (and maybe it's just me) even the color pink looks different. But that could be the amount of sunlight they've gotten that week (since we're always traveling). In this photo the dead give away is the toe... because it's not a stub. But if you look close, directly under his eye he doesn't have bumps. And his bumps are less bright red, and less all around. That's my usual give away to tell that this bird is Ace. The slicked head feathers yet poofed beak feathers give away Ace's normal demeanor. He always has his own expression in his eyes... an eye squint, it's unlike Bandit's but something you may not notice unless you see it over and over again in person.

Photo by Dave Location: Fayetteville, NC Pictured: Galah (you should be getting better at guessing now...) 

Notice how much more red his eyes are? Notice the head feathers are just naturally more voluptuous?  They aren't slicked back on his head, they're up a little and they're almost always up just a little. And of course, I included this shot because the toe ultimately proves it all. This would be the baby Bandit boy. 

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Macon, GA Shown: Galahs "Bandit" and "Ace" 

Which one is which, huh?

Ace has his walk, Bandit has his. Ace walks with his wings up in the air... he runs a lot. Bandit will just take off and fly. But Ace almost has to get a running start. He gets so excited he lifts his wings as he goes fast. He also throws his whole body forward and often results in tripping.

Bandit, however, has the cutest walk I've ever seen in my whole freaking life! Okay, maybe I'm biased. Whatever... who isn't...

 Bandit picks up each foot with a purpose. And he often gets excited and it leads to head bobbing and making himself as tall as possible. He is, of course, pigeon toed, and taking photos of his feet is easy because they're so purposeful and perfect. Bandit likes walking, and keeps his beak feathers puffed just a bit. And of course, there's his normal head feathers raised just a bit. 

So the answer... Bandit is left, Ace is right in the background.

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Macon, GA Walkin': Galah...

 This is the walk I'm talking about. See the head feathers? It's really obvious here. That's a Bandit giveaway. See the feet? Bandit giveaway. Adorable-ness? Bandit... I mean... galah giveaway...

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Macon, GA Walkin': Galah guess... 

This is the other walk. Wings lifted, but not helping him go any faster... haha... and the flat head, throwing of the body forward in another attempt to run faster...

Is it obvious it's Ace yet?

Do you see the differences I'm talking about?

More head feather examples of Bandit: example 1, example 2 

All 3 galahs; picture 1 (Bondi, Ace, Bandit from left to right), picture 2 (Bondi, Bandit, Ace), picture 3 (Bondi, Bandit, Ace).

Hopefully these tips help you tell them apart in the future when I post images.

Article by Jamieleigh Womach. She has been working with parrots and toucans since the age of 17. She isn’t homeless but is home less than she prefers to be. She travels the world with her husband, daughter, and a flockful of parrots whom she shares the stage with.