Sunday, February 12, 2012

Grey currawong, bird with an image problem

These guys seem really unpopular with other species. That goes for their pied counterpart as well. It may be because small birds feature on the menu!

It is my impression that in a given region you will generally find one or the other species of currawong but only occasionally both. In the bushier areas of Phillip Island (the first three pictures are from Silverleaves taken earlier today) we tend to find the Grey currawong, Strepera versicolor.

Probably still developing adult plumage.

Looking for a feed in the late afternoon sun

The clothesline provides a good perch!

Popularity is a problem when you have a bill like this
Again Silverleaves but 31/7/2011



Adult bird (left) was removing a feed from the crevice
Silverleaves 1/1/2011

The Grey currawongs of Kangaroo Island (above & below)
are darker in appearance, less likely to have white wing patches
and can only be reliably distinguished from Pied currawong
by their distinctive call.

Strepera versicolor, race melanoptera
Duck Lagoon (Kangaroo Island, SA) 17/04/2011

2 comments:

  1. Good catch!
    I like pic n°1 best!
    Cheers!

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  2. 15 of them racketing in my Buninyong 3350 back garden this morning.
    They were attracted by the sprinkled raw rolled oats I put out for the blackbirds and bronzewings.

    ReplyDelete