Pied Currawong

Overview

The pied currawong (Strepera graculina) is a robust passerine bird native to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. It is closely related to butcherbirds and Australian magpies within the family Artamidae. Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the species is sedentary but adapts well to urban environments.

Identification

• Plumage is black or sooty grey-black with distinct white patches on the wings, undertail coverts, and tail tip.
• Adults average around 48 cm (19 in) in length with a long, heavy bill that is hooked at the end.
• Features bright yellow irises, distinguishing it from similar species like the white-winged chough or Australian crow which have red or white eyes.
• Vocalisations include a loud, croaking call often described as 'Kadow-Kadang' or 'Curra-wong', alongside a high-pitched, wolf-like whistle.

Habitat

This species inhabits a variety of forested areas, with mature forests preferred for breeding, though it thrives in rural woodlands, parks, and gardens. Its range extends throughout eastern Australia from Cape York to western Victoria, including Lord Howe Island. Generally sedentary, some high-altitude populations relocate to lower elevations during cooler months.

Diet

Omnivorous, the pied currawong feeds on a wide variety of berries, seeds, invertebrates, bird eggs, juvenile birds, and young marsupials. It is primarily a tree-dwelling forager that hunts some metres above the ground, contrasting with the ground-foraging behaviour of its relative, the Australian magpie.

Did you know?

The bird's common name is onomatopoeic, derived from its loud, distinctive croaking call which is believed to originate from indigenous languages such as the Jagera word garrawaŋ. French ornithologists historically referred to the species as the 'alarm clock' or 'wake-up caller' due to its early morning and evening vocalisations.