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22

Black Currawong (Strepera fuliginosa) Alternate name(s): "Sooty Crow-shrike", "Sooty Currawong", "Black Magpie", "Black Bell Magpie", "Black Jay" "Mountain Magpie*" Aboriginal name(s): "cur-ow-ung*" [awaba], "kirriwong*" [birbai] Size: 47-50 cm (male larger); wing span: ca. 80 cm Body mass: 405 g (male avg), 340 g (female avg) Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.35-0.50

Australia: Family Group 22 Family Group 22 Table White-winged Triller Varied Triller Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Barred Cuckoo-shrike Ground Cuckoo-shrike Sahul Cicadabird (Australasian) Yellow Oriole Olive-backed Oriole Australasian Figbird White-breasted Woodswallow Masked Woodswallow White-browed Woodswallow Black-faced Woodswallow Dusky Woodswallow Little Woodswallow Black Butcherbird Grey Butcherbird Silver-backed Butcherbird Black-backed Butcherbird Pied Butcherbird Australian Magpie Black Currawong Grey Currawong Pied Currawong Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Black Currawongs are large predatorial birds. Their plumage is charcoal-black. The only exceptions are the white tips of the primary flight feathers and a white terminal band on the tail Their irises are yellow; the strong, hooked bill andthe legs and feet are dark-grey. Race "fuliginosa" is the largest of the 3; races "colei" and "parvior" are smaller. Juveniles are a bit duller and browner than adults and they have the light-coloured (creamy) characteristic gape for several months and their irises start off dark and become successively brighter. Immature birds retain juvenile scapulars and wing coverts with brown tips for several months.

Taxonomy, classification See Black Currawong at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Black Currawong is available HERE . There are 3 extant races of Black Currawongs, all of which are endemic to Tasmania and islands in Bass Strait. Nominate race "fuliginosa" populates basically all of Tasmania and nearby small islands. Race "colei" is found only on King Island, while race "parvior" is endemic to Flinders Island and Cape Barren Island. Black Currawongs live in a variety of habitats, ranging from open forest and woodland to scrub, heath and farmland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "fuliginosa" M. Eaton reports spotting a Black Currawong, race "fuliginosa", at Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, in April 2021. Others were found at Cradle Mountain, TAS, in September 2021. All sighting and photographic information presented on this page has been kindly contributed by M. Eaton.

Photos

Race "fuliginosa"

ADULT

Close-up frontal view of a Black Currawong (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Frontal view of a Black Currawong keen on scavenging food (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Close-up near-frontal portrait of a Black Currawong (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Near-frontal view of a Black Currawong (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Black Currawong - note the absence of white on the undertail coverts (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Peter Murrell Reserve, near Kingston, TAS, April 2021]

Near-lateral view of a Black Currawong (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a Black Currawong looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a Black Currawong (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Black Currawong looking back at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Dorsal view of a Black Currawong (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cradle Mountain, TAS, September 2021]

Behaviour

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

More Black Currawong sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.