Grey/Pied Currawong hybrid or leucistic Pied Currawong

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Hi John,

 

On face value, I tend to agree with Chris that leucism (or a leucistic bird - to get the word correct, since you asked) of a Pied Currawong is rather more likely than a hybrid. Although hybridisation is vaguely possible. Years ago a very likely Pied Butcherbird / Magpie hybrid was reported (from northern NSW), although we don't know what it was either. On one of the Lindenmayer surveys at Nanangroe a few years back, I encountered a Pied Currawong that was almost all white, with a few black patches.That you suggest "no white on the undertail coverts or tip of tail which would have been the case in either normal-plumaged species" is certainly odd either way. You don't mention the beak shape that is different between the two species. Or any calls, most likely because it didn't, otherwise I guess you would have. Of course there is the other likely possibility that it is an unusually dark Grey Currawong, maybe one with some genetic background from the mallee form of the Grey Currawong (which is mostly black). 

 

Philip