Alternative names: Common Currawong; Grey Bell-Magpie; Grey Crow-Shrike; Black-winged Currawong
- Strepera versicolor
Identification
44 - 57cm (17¼-22½ in). A large, raven-like bird, but slender, with a long, conical bill.
The Grey Currawong is a mainly dark bird with some white markings. Its eyes are yellow. It is variable species with six subspecies.
Sexes similar, males are larger and darker than females.
Juveniles are much browner and have softer and looser body plumage.
Variations
All subspecies have a white-tipped tail. These include:
- the nominate race, race versicolor, is variably grey to grey-brown, with a white tail-tip, undertail and white across wings;
- the 'Clinking Currawong', race arguta, is a large, very dark form;
- the 'Black-winged Currawong', race melanoptera, is grey-black without any white on wings, but retains white undertail and tail tip;
- the 'Brown Currawong', race intermedia, is overall darker grey-brown than the nominate;
- race plumbea is darker and replaces the nominate race in the western parts of its range;
- race halmaturina is dark, with no white in wings and a narrow white tail band.
Similar species
Black Currawong has a black undertail. Pied Currawong has more white, is usually darker and has a pronounced hooked bill.
Distribution
Photo © by The Bosun
Cleland Conservation Park, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, September 2009
Southern Australia including Tasmania.
Locally common to uncommon. Has evidently declined in numbers.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Six subspecies are recognised[1]:
- S. v. versicolor - South East, South West and Central Australia;
- S. v. argunta - Tasmania and Bass Strait islands;
- S. v. melanoptera - from the Victorian/South Australian border Mallee districts to the Mount Lofty Ranges, near Adelaide;
- S. v. intermedia - South Australia's Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula;
- S. v. plumbea - North-west South Australia, South-west Northern Territory and southern Western Australia;
- S. v. halmatuina - Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
Several subspecies have also been treated as full species.
Habitat
Wide range of areas from the coast to the semi-desert, including forests, woodlands and mallee areas.
Behaviour
Diet
They feed on a range including small animals, insects, eggs, seeds, fruit and carrion.
Forages mainly on the ground.
Breeding
Known to be a nest predator.
Breeding season from July to December. Nests are in the upper canopy, up to 15 metres above the ground. A large, shallow nest made of sticks. Lays 2 - 3 eggs. Eggs are incubated by the female and both sexes feed the young.
Movements
Mainly a sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
- The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Grey Currawong. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Grey_Currawong
External Links
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