White-winged Chough

The White-winged Chough is a large, entirely black bird with iridescent green-blue sheen, a long, slender, downcurved black bill, and a striking ruby-red eye. Despite the name, it is not related to the true choughs of Europe and Asia (which are corvids); it belongs instead to the ancient, Australia-only family Corcoracidae, shared only with the Apostlebird.

In flight the otherwise all-black bird reveals large white patches at the base of the primary flight feathers, which are hidden at rest and give the species its common name. Groups move through woodland understorey turning over leaf litter with their curved bills, calling with plaintive, drawn-out whistles.

Key field marks

• All-black plumage with a glossy green-blue sheen
• Long, slender, strongly downcurved black bill
• Bright red eye, conspicuous at close range
• Large white wing patches visible only in flight, concealed when perched
• Long black tail

Similar species

• Apostlebird is smaller, plain grey-brown (not black), has a short straight bill, and a dark eye rather than red.
• Australian corvids (ravens and crows) are similarly all-black but have straight, stouter bills, dark eyes, and lack white in the wing.

Range

Found across inland and southeastern Australia, from central Queensland through New South Wales, Victoria, and into South Australia, generally avoiding the wettest coastal forests and the arid interior.

Habitat

Inhabits dry eucalypt woodland and open forest with a leaf-litter understorey, often near watercourses, as well as adjacent farmland with remnant trees.

Migration

Sedentary, defending a permanent group territory throughout the year.

Behavior

A highly social, cooperatively breeding species living in family groups of around four to twenty birds that forage, roost, and nest together, turning over litter and bark for food with their curved bills.

Voice

Gives plaintive, far-carrying piping and whistling calls, along with soft chuckling notes while foraging in a group.

Feeding

Forages on the ground and on tree trunks and branches, probing leaf litter and bark for invertebrates such as beetle larvae, spiders, and snails, occasionally supplementing with seeds.

Nesting

Builds a large, deep, bowl-shaped nest of mud mixed with grass and set on a horizontal branch; several group members assist the breeding pair with nest-building, incubation, and feeding of chicks, an unusual and demanding cooperative effort.