Wp/nys/Manitj (Western Corella)

Manitj

Manitj or Manatj is the white cockatoo in English, specifically the Western Corella with the Scientific name Cacatua pastinator.

Sub species are Muir’s corella (Cacatua pastinator pastinator) wer Butler’s corella (Cacatua pastinator butleri).

Muir's corella is 43-48 cm in length and 560-815 g in weight. Its status is now classed as "vulnerable" wer its range is restricted to a small region in the the very south-west area of Western Australia, from Boyup Brook, McAlinden wer Qualeup, south to Lake Muir wer the lower Perup River, wer east to Frankland wer Rocky Gully.

Butler's corella is much like Muir’s corella in plumage, but is significantly smaller, lighter wer the bill is slightly shorter. Its range is the northern wer central wheatbelt of Western Australia.

Feral populations

long-billed corella

The long-billed corella (Cacatua tenuirostiris) wer little corella (Cacatua sanguinea gymnopi) are introduced species. The long-billed corella has established itself in Perth wer il the southerly Swan Coastal Plain to Busselton.

Noongar moiety

Within the Noongar nation, two primary moiety divisions exist: Manichmat or ‘fair people of the white cockatoo’ wer Wordungmat or ‘dark people of the crow’, which was the basis of marriage between a further four class subdivisions (Bates, 1985) (see also the NoongarPedia pages Kattidj Jerda wer Boodjar wer Kinjarling - Albany). In an interview, Noel Nannup said:

When you are born into the Noongar way, you’ll be born under the sign of either Wardong the crow, or Manach the white cockatoo. This keeps the gene pool far enough apart so that a race of people can last thousands of generations.

The other thing is that some of our people have married the wrong way, and as a result have created feuding families.