Wild Bird Wednesday 13 - Pied Currawong

This rather magnificent bird is a Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina).  Although they look a little like long thin crows, they are in a different family.  As you may guess from the impressive beak they feed on small mammals, reptiles and nestlings.  Its the tendency of this bird to feed on young birds in the nest that makes it rather unpopular in some quarters.  In urban areas they can be a major cause of mortlaity in smaller birds.  This is of course not a problem for a currawong - it's just a marker that somewhere along the line the balance has tipped in favour of this bird.

The calls of these birds are remarkable in the range of sound produced and for its ability to carry over long distances.  I start to hear these birds around my house in the autumn, but as spring comes they move away to higher ground - in this case The Grampians.

I like the shape of these birds, the shear size of the beak and that yellow eye.

The slight variation in the feathers suggest that this may be an old juvenile (if you see what I mean).

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Click on the link below and follow the instructions - visit the other WBWers and generally enjoy the birds!