other names
Currawong, Bell Magpie, Black Magpie, Mountain Magpie or Chillawong

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DESCRIPTION

42 to 50cm in length, with the male slightly larger. Black bird with robust black bill and piercing yellow eyes. Tip of tail, underparts at base of tail and underwing coverts are white. Females can sometimes be greyer than males.

Juvenile: Paler and slightly browner or greyer than adults. Eyes are black.

Voice: Variations on loud, ringing, several-syllabled croak "krik-krik-bewair", the last note falling. Loud falsetto "currar currar". Long drawn out whistle when perched. Shorter whistles and guttural croaks in conversation.

The Pied Currawong can be found along the eastern seaboard ranging up to 400km's inland from Cape York Peninsula in Queensland and down to the Grampians in Victoria. It is a nomadic bird often forming large flocks and moving great distances in autumn and winter. Birds in the north, particularly coastal Queensland are more sedentary. The Currawongs habitat is diverse and ranges from coastal to alpine including areas of woodlands, forests, scrubland, farms and gardens. It is a omnivorous scavenger but also hunts for food including insects, small reptiles and bird chicks but it also eats carrion and fruit such as berries. In suburban areas it is a bold scavenger. During the breeding season pairs defend the territory and all food is gathered within the territory boundaries. Breeding season is from July to November in the north and from September to January in the south. Both sexes collect material for the nest, however it seems that only the female builds the nest in around 14 days, which is placed in the fork of a tree under a leafy canopy. Between 2 and 4 eggs are laid which are incubated by the female for around 21 days. During this period the male will feed the female. Both parents will hunt and feed for the chicks, which fledge in around 30 days. The young stay with the parents for some time and are fed for several months after fledging.