Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) lives in eastern forests across Eastern Australia. It feeds on insects and small vertebrates. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Pied Currawong
- A single pied currawong stretches nearly half a meter long, adults measure 44-50 cm, averaging about 48 cm, with a wingspan that can reach 77 cm and typically sits around 69 cm. Males tip the scales at roughly 320 g while females are lighter at about 280 g, yet both can live beyond two decades in the wild.
- From the 1960s to the early 1990s the national count of pied currawongs jumped from three million to six million birds, a doubling in just a few decades. This surge mirrors their rapid embrace of suburban gardens, especially in Sydney and Canberra where they shifted from winter visitors to year-round breeders. The boom shows how adaptable the species is to human-altered landscapes, turning city parks into new breeding strongholds.
- Pied currawongs lay a clutch of three eggs, each about 30 mm × 42 mm (1.2 in × 1.7 in), and incubate them for roughly 30 days before hatching. Both parents feed the altricial chicks, though the male waits a few days after birth to start provisioning.
- The Lord Howe Island subspecies, Strepera graculina crissalis, survives on a tiny island population of only about 70-80 individuals. yet the birds have thrived alongside humans.
- Territorial currawongs space their nests about 250 m apart, a Sydney 1994 study measured an average distance of 250 m (820 ft) between nests, while territories in Canberra have been measured at about 7.9 ha.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeEastern Australia
HabitatEastern forests
DietInsects and small vertebrates
About the Pied Currawong
In the dappled light of the Australian forest, the Pied Currawong moves with a quiet confidence, its sleek black and white plumage blending seamlessly with the shadows as it stalks its prey. With eyes that gleam like polished onyx, this formidable hunter navigates the trees with an effortless ease, its wings beating in a slow, deliberate rhythm as it pursues its next meal. As it takes to the skies, its melancholy call echoes through the landscape, a haunting serenade that underscores the Currawong's enigmatic presence in this sun-dappled world.
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