Grey Currawong

The Grey Currawong is a large songbird similar in build to the Pied Currawong but generally showing more grey tones through the body plumage rather than solid black, with the exact depth of grey varying noticeably between the several recognized subspecies across its range, from quite dark, almost blackish forms to paler, more uniformly grey birds. Like its relative, it has a bright yellow eye, a stout black bill, and white patches in the wing and at the tip of the tail.

One well-known subspecies found in parts of South Australia is often nicknamed the "clinking currawong" for its distinctive metallic call.

Key field marks

• Grey-toned body plumage, varying by subspecies from dark grey to blackish
• Bright yellow eye
• White patches in the wings and at the tail tip
• Heavy, black, slightly hooked bill

Similar species

• Pied Currawong: more solidly black plumage overall, less grey tone through the body.
• Australian Raven: entirely black with a pale eye rather than yellow, and no white wing/tail markings.

Habitat

Grey Currawongs occupy eucalypt forest, woodland, and mallee scrub, generally favoring drier habitats than the Pied Currawong across parts of their range.

Range

The species is found across southern Australia, including southwestern Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and parts of southern New South Wales, with several regional subspecies.

Migration

Mostly sedentary, though some local and altitudinal movement can occur, with birds sometimes moving to lower areas in harsh winter conditions.

Behavior

Grey Currawongs forage both in trees and on the ground, often alone, in pairs, or in small groups, and are generally somewhat less gregarious than the Pied Currawong outside the breeding season.

Voice

Calls include a range of ringing and metallic notes; one subspecies is known for a distinctive clinking call that has earned it the nickname "clinking currawong."

Feeding

Diet is omnivorous, including insects and other invertebrates, fruits, small vertebrates, and occasionally the eggs and nestlings of other birds.

Nesting and breeding

Nests are large stick platforms built in trees. Clutches typically contain two to four pale eggs with darker markings, incubated mainly by the female, with the male assisting in provisioning.