Strepera versicolor
The Grey Currawong (*Strepera versicolor*) is a large, sturdy passerine bird, measuring 45-53 cm (18-21 in) in length and weighing between 250-400g. Its plumage is predominantly dark grey to sooty-black, offset by a strong, slightly hooked bill. Key identifying features include its striking bright yellow eyes, prominent white patches at the base of the primary flight feathers (most visible in flight), and white undertail coverts, often complemented by a white tail tip. Taxonomically, it belon...
Found in a variety of habitats, including eucalypt forests, woodlands, mallee scrub, open country with scattered trees, farmland, and urban parks and gardens, from sea level to subalpine areas.
Omnivorous, their diet consists of a wide range of insects, other invertebrates, small reptiles, nestlings, eggs, carrion, berries, fruits, and seeds, procured through ground foraging, gleaning, hawking, and probing.
Primarily diurnal, Grey Currawongs are active foragers, often roosting communally in tall trees at night. Their highly adaptable foraging strategies involve gleaning insects from foliage, probing under bark, hunting small vertebrates on the ground, catching insects in flight, and even raiding oth...
Endemic to Australia, the Grey Currawong is widely distributed across the southern and south-eastern parts of the continent, extending from the west coast of Western Australia, through South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, and into south-eastern Queensland. It is also a prominent reside...
Least Concern
- The Grey Currawong's scientific name, *Strepera versicolor*, means 'noisy varied-coloured', reflecting both its calls and its subspecies' plumage differences. - Despite their crow-like appearance, Grey Currawongs are not true corvids but belong to the Artamidae family, which includes Australian...