Hmmm, that’s an unusually tough one,
John. Might be a job for … CURRAWONGPERSON!
From: John Layton
[
Sent: Wednesday, September 06,
2006 10:07 PM
To: Canberrabirds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Grey/Pied
Currawong hybrid or leucismic Pied Currawong
At 1:00 pm on 6 September, between the rear of Woolworths supermarket,
Kippax and the Holt playing fields, I noticed a currawong pulling loose
bark from a eucalyptus tree as it perched in a fork of the trunk a metre
above the ground. Judging by the behaviour I thought it might be a Grey
Currawong and investigated. But my curiosity went unrewarded. Rather,
it was piqued.
The bird's head and neck were black like a Pied Currawong and stood out
from the rest of the plumage which appeared to be dark grey. The chest and
belly were splotched with dull white as was the mantle and scapular areas.
Also, I didn't notice any white on the undertail coverts or tip of tail
which would have been the case in either normal-plumaged species, I think.
As I closed to within three metres it moved to an adjacent tree
and I saw it was carrying a couple of pieces of bark (c.8 cm long) which may
indicate it was nest-building nearby. If so, it mightn't be hard to track down.
I regained a reasonable view a few seconds later but it seemed wary and moved
higher in the tree before giving me the slip.
I initially thought Grey/Pied Currawong hybrid, but a quick
perusal of HANZAB didn't reveal any mention of such a cross, and Chris Davey
has pointed out the possibility it may be a leucismic (if I've got that word
correct) Pied Currawong.
