From Opus

Photo by FelixWilson
Tasmania, Australia, August 2004

Alternative names: Common Currawong; Grey Bell-Magpie; Grey Crow-Shrike

Strepera versicolor

[edit] Identification

44 - 57cm. 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 eye. It is variable species with six subspecies. 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.

Sexes similar, males are larger and darker than females. Juveniles are much browner and have softer and looser body plumage.

Juvenile
Photo by lima
Swanpool, Victoria, Australia, August 2006

[edit] Similar species

Black Currawong has a black undertail. Pied Currawong has more white, is usually darker and has a pronounced hooked bill.

[edit] Distribution

Southern Australia including Tasmania.
Locally common to uncommon. Has evidently declined in numbers.

[edit] Taxonomy

Six subspecies are recognised:

• 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.

[edit] Habitat

Wide range of areas from the coast to the semi-desert, including forests, woodlands and mallee areas.

[edit] Behaviour

They feed on a range including small animals, insects, eggs, seeds, fruit and carrion.
Forages mainly on the ground. 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.
Mainly a sedentary species.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. 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
3. The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds

• List of references

[edit] External Links