From Opus

Photo by Tom Tarrant

Strepera graculina

[edit] Identification

Large, mostly black bird, bright yellow eye, small patches of white under tail, the tips and bases of the tail feathers. Large black bill and legs. Sexes similar. Juveniles dull and brown. The main call is a loud currawong, which gives the bird its name. Other frequent sounds include deep croaks and a wolf whistle.

[edit] Distribution

Australia

[edit] Taxonomy

Though crow-like in appearance and habits, it is only distantly related to true crows, instead it belongs to the family Artamidae, together with the closely related Australian Magpie and the butcherbirds.

[edit] Habitat

Forests and woodlands.

[edit] Behaviour

Diet includes small lizards, insects, caterpillars and berries, young birds.

The females build a bowl shaped nest of sticks, lined with grasses and other soft material in a tree fork. The female incubates the eggs, and the male feeds her. The male also supplies food to the female for the first week after the chicks hatch and she feeds the chicks.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID