Butcherbirds (Cracticidae)
Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor) - HBW 14, p. 341
French: Réveilleur cendré
German:
Spanish: Verdugo Cenizo
Other common names: Common Currawong, Grey Bell-magpie/Crow-shrike; Brown Currawong (intermedia); Black-winged Currawong (melanoptera and halmaturina); Clinking Currawong (arguta)
Taxonomy: C[orvus] versicolor Latham, 1801, Sydney region, New South Wales, Australia.
Races very variable in plumage colour and pattern, and for a long time regarded as forming four separate species, one in SE South Australia (intermedia), one in mallee and scrublands of SW New South Wales S to Kangaroo I and extreme NW Victoria (melanoptera and halmaturina), one in Tasmania (arguta), and one covering rest of range (plumbea and nominate); races, however, intergrade wherever they come into contact with one another, and better treated as representing a single species. Thus, melanoptera intergrades with nominate from South Australia-Victo.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: C[orvus] versicolor Latham, 1801, Sydney region, New South Wales, Australia.
Races very variable in plumage colour and pattern, and for a long time regarded as forming four separate species, one in SE South Australia (intermedia), one in mallee and scrublands of SW New South Wales S to Kangaroo I and extreme NW Victoria (melanoptera and halmaturina), one in Tasmania (arguta), and one covering rest of range (plumbea and nominate); races, however, intergrade wherever they come into contact with one another, and better treated as representing a single species. Thus, melanoptera intergrades with nominate from South Australia-Victoria border E to Grampian Ranges in N and to Cape Otway in S; possible intergradation of plumbea with intermedia E through Great Victoria Desert uncertain but likely. Proposed race howei (described from Kow Plains, in NW) represents an intergrade population; centralia (from Everard Ranges, in NW South Australia) indistinguishable from plumbea. Six subspecies currently recognized.
Races very variable in plumage colour and pattern, and for a long time regarded as forming four separate species, one in SE South Australia (intermedia), one in mallee and scrublands of SW New South Wales S to Kangaroo I and extreme NW Victoria (melanoptera and halmaturina), one in Tasmania (arguta), and one covering rest of range (plumbea and nominate); races, however, intergrade wherever they come into contact with one another, and better treated as representing a single species. Thus, melanoptera intergrades with nominate from South Australia-Victoria border E to Grampian Ranges in N and to Cape Otway in S; possible intergradation of plumbea with intermedia E through Great Victoria Desert uncertain but likely. Proposed race howei (described from Kow Plains, in NW) represents an intergrade population; centralia (from Everard Ranges, in NW South Australia) indistinguishable from plumbea. Six subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- plumbea Gould, 1846 - from SW Western Australia (S from Geraldton) E, discontinuously, to extreme SW Northern Territory (Petermann Ranges) and W South Australia (Musgrave and Everard Ranges, and in Great Victoria Desert).
- intermedia Sharpe, 1877 - South Australia from Ooldea E along coast (S of Nullarbor Plain) to Yorke Peninsula.
- melanoptera Gould, 1846 - SE South Australia (S Flinders Ranges S to Fleurieu Peninsula and Mt Lofty Ranges) E to mallee areas of NW Victoria.
- plumbea Gould, 1846 - from SW Western Australia (S from Geraldton) E, discontinuously, to extreme SW Northern Territory (Petermann Ranges) and W South Australia (Musgrave and Everard Ranges, and in Great Victoria Desert).
- intermedia Sharpe, 1877 - South Australia from Ooldea E along coast (S of Nullarbor Plain) to Yorke Peninsula.
- melanoptera Gould, 1846 - SE South Australia (S Flinders Ranges S to Fleurieu Peninsula and Mt Lofty Ranges) E to mallee areas of NW Victoria.
- halmaturina Mathews, 1912 - Kangaroo I, off South Australia.
- versicolor ( Latham, 1801) - SE New South Wales (from Hunter R) S, inland to W slopes of Great Dividing Range, to W Victoria (Grampians and, on coast, to Port Phillip Bay).
- arguta Gould, 1846 - E Tasmania (E of line joining Devonport and Hobart).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Nest building - looking for dead twigs to break off then adding a stick to the partially built nest. Locality Shepards Lookout, Woodstock Nature Reserve, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Stephen Wallace 9 August 2011 26 weeks ago 23 sec 4.3 -
An adult searching for food Locality Rocky River Campground, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia (ssp melanoptera)
Philip Griffin 4 April 2003 8 years ago 16 sec 4.2 -
Dependent young still with down being feed. Parent calls in the background near the end of the second clip. Locality Shepards Lookout, Woodstock Nature Reserve, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Stephen Wallace 9 November 2011 13 weeks ago 38 sec 4 -
In a tree and foraging on the ground. Locality Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (ssp versicolor)
Stephen Wallace 2 August 2011 27 weeks ago 24 sec 4 -
A bird searching for food on the ground, then perching in a tree before hopping away. Locality Campbell Park, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (ssp versicolor)
Nick Talbot 13 August 2005 2 years ago 27 sec 4 -
A bird searching for food under bark. Locality Campbell Park, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (ssp versicolor)
Nick Talbot 13 August 2005 2 years ago 37 sec 4
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Adult hunting on the ground
Locality Stirling Range Retreat, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia, Australia (ssp plumbea)
Clive Nealon 21 October 2009 9 weeks ago 3.8 -
Perched in a tree
Locality Belair National Park , Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Peter Strauss 19 March 2011 47 weeks ago 3.5 -
several birds in camp site feeding on ants.
Locality Innes National Park, South Australia, Australia
Edward Smith 14 October 2009 50 weeks ago 3.2 -
Perched in a tree.
Locality Little Desert National Park, Victoria, Australia
Ken Havard 25 October 2008 48 weeks ago 3 -
Grey currawong
Locality South Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Margaret Leggoe 10 July 2009 1 year ago 3 -
apparent adult
Locality Mount Wellington, Tasmania, Australia (ssp arguta)
Michael Retter 3 November 2009 2 years ago 3
- No sound recordings available yet
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