Pied currawong

Pied currawong
blackish crow-like bird looking left over its shoulder on a gum tree branch
Nominate subspecies graculina, Blue Mountains
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Artamidae
Genus: Strepera
Species:
S. graculina
Binomial name
Strepera graculina
(Shaw, 1790)
Subspecies

6 subspecies, see text

map of Australia showing greened out area in east of the country
Pied currawong range
Synonyms

Corvus graculinus G. Shaw, 1790[2]
Coracias strepera Latham, 1790[3]
Gracula strepera G. Shaw, 1809[4]
Barita strepera Temminck[5]
Corvus (Strepera) sp. Lesson, 1831[6]
Cracticus streperus Vieillot, 1834[7]
Coronica strepera Gould, 1837[8]
Strepera graculina Gray, 1840[9]

The pied currawong (Strepera graculina) is a black passerine bird native to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. One of three currawong species in the genus Strepera, it is closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian magpie of the family Artamidae. Six subspecies are recognised. It is a robust crowlike bird averaging around 48 cm (19 in) in length, black or sooty grey-black in plumage with white undertail and wing patches, yellow irises, and a heavy bill. The male and female are similar in appearance. Known for its melodious calls, the species' name currawong is believed to be of indigenous origin.

Within its range, the pied currawong is generally sedentary, although populations at higher altitudes relocate to lower areas during the cooler months. It is omnivorous, with a diet that includes a wide variety of berries and seeds, invertebrates, bird eggs, juvenile birds and young marsupials. It is a predator which has adapted well to urbanization and can be found in parks and gardens as well as rural woodland. The habitat includes every kind of forested area, although mature forests are preferred for breeding. Roosting, nesting and the bulk of foraging take place in trees, in contrast with the ground-foraging behaviour of its relative, the Australian magpie.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Strepera graculina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22706293A94060862. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22706293A94060862.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference White1790 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Latham1790 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Shaw1809 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Temminck was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lesson1831 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Vieillot1834 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gould1837 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gray1840 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).