Black Currawong
The Currawong is a distinctive bird of Tasmania’s highlands and wild places and can flock in groups of up to 50 particularly in winter. Smart and bold around people, with a distinct rolling call that is iconic for Tasmania’s highlands. Currawong will regurgitate the seeds of the pink mountain berry and these small pile of regurgitated seeds are often seen in Tasmania’s highlands.
Where to See the Black Currawong
Places in Tasmania where you can commonly see or hear the distinctive call of the Black Currawong
Cycling
North Bruny Loop
3 hours return
43.5km loop from Roberts point, 107.5km return from Hobart return
Bruny Island's Belt of Sub-Alpine Rainforest
Illustrative of the wonderful variety of habitat types within the compact island, Bruny hosts a small belt of sub-alpine rainforest on the slopes of Mt Mangana
Black Currawong
Currawong, Black Jay
Strepera fuliginosa
Butcherbirds and Currawongs
The currawong is a bird found only in Tasmania, frequents forests, and is a glossy all-black colour with a heavy black bill, small white tip to its tail and wingtips, and bright-yellow eyes.
460-480mm
The Currawong is a large bird glossy all black in colour, with a large curved beak, distinctive yellow-eyes, small white tips to its windups and tail, and a distinctive rolling call.
The Currawong is a distinctive bird of Tasmania’s highlands and wild places and can flock in groups of up to 50 particularly in winter. Smart and bold around people, with a distinct rolling call that is iconic for Tasmania’s highlands. Currawong will regurgitate the seeds of the pink mountain berry and these small pile of regurgitated seeds is often seen in Tasmania’s highlands.
The Currawong prefers woodlands and sub-alpine forests, or lives lower down in winter, and in coastal scrub in some parts of Tasmania
Currawong are omnivorous and they scavenge, and also eat young birds, mice, insects, berries, lizards and other foods.
Currawongs build large, deep bowl-shaped nests in a tree with sticks and lined with grass and fine twigs. 2-4 eggs.
Currawongs are found only in Tasmania and found throughout Tasmania but it tends to move up and down the slopes seasonally
Protected
The Currawong subspecies colei is under threat on King Island from habitat clearing. The main broader threat for the Currawong is clearing of native vegetation for agriculture.
A loud and distinct rolling 'kar-week-week-kar'
The Currawong is a common and distinctive bird of Tasmania's highlands, and can be found on kunanyi/Mt Wellington, at Cradle Mountain, Mt Field and other parts of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. On Bruny Island it can be found throughout, and is often found on the forested slopes of Mt Mangana
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