birding-aus

Flocking currawongs

To:
Subject: Flocking currawongs
From: Penny Brockman <>
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2023 18:31:31 +1100

Further to my previous post, I now live in Gloucester, north of Newcastle NSW, and each autumn a flock (20-30) of currawongs arrives in the district park for winter, much to the disgust of the local torresian crows. It takes a week or so for both sides to settle down and lower the noise levels.

They roost in nearby wooded hilltops. In the mornings they fly past, some dropping into my garden much to the disgust of the resident birds, and most evenings returning to roost in the same hill. A few stay around in summer but most leave.


On 27/10/23 11:44 am, Ross Macfarlane wrote:
Ah, that explains why great mobs of pied currawongs would drive you nuts with their incessant 
“kah-kah-wong!” calls at Zumsteins in the Grampians back in the day…

Cheers,

Ross Macfarlane

From: Birding-Aus <> On Behalf Of Geoffrey 
Dabb
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2023 10:01 AM
To: 'Casimir Liber' <>; 
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Flocking currawongs

Ah, the folk of the plains have much to learn about the birds of Australia's 
high country. 'It breeds in forest country but in the autumn and winter is 
nomadic forming large flocks.  This movement is largely an altitudinal shift 
and large flocks appear in towns on the highlands during winter.'  (Ian Rowley 
in Birds in the Australian High Country, Frith HJ, ed. 1969, 1984)

-----Original Message-----
From: Birding-Aus < 
<> > On Behalf Of Casimir Liber
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2023 11:35 PM
To:  <>
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Flocking currawongs

I'm in Sydney too and come to think of it, I don't recall seeing them in flocks 
- maybe 2 or 3 at most together Cas

On Thu, Oct 26, 2023 at 8:57 PM < <> 
> wrote:

Thanks Philip,
I live in Sydney and never see flocks around my area.
paul
From: Philip Veerman < <> >
Sent: Monday, 23 October 2023 10:05 AM
To:  <> ;  
<> 
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] Flocking currawongs
Hello Paul,
That is a curious comment. I would say that having large flocks of Pied 
Currawongs is entirely normal. They are rarely alone here. Where I am at 
Canberra, a flock of 40 is about average for flock size, especially in winter, 
when flocks that size or bigger are daily observations. During the breeding 
season they disperse a lot more. Especially noisy in flocks, when they decide 
to try to fight away ravens or owls or raptors.
About Gold Coast, although I have spent a lot of time there too. I don’t have 
any specific memory about them in flocks or not. As I am so familiar with them, I 
would not think of it.
Philip
From: Birding-Aus [ <> 
 On
Behalf Of  <> 
Sent: Monday, 23 October, 2023 9:43 AM
To:  <> 
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Flocking currawongs
Hi all,
I was at the Gold Coast last week and was interested to see large numbers of 
Pied Currawongs flocking around a new building site at sunset.
I have a photo, but I don’t think I can upload pictures on this chat group?
Probably 40 birds in all.
I don’t remember ever seeing Currawongs flocking like this: is that unusual?
Regards,
Paul.
<HR>
<BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
<BR>  <> 
<BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
<BR>
  <http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org> 
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
</HR>
<HR>

<BR> Birding-Aus mailing list

<BR>  <> 

<BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

<BR>  <http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org> 
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

</HR>



<HR>
<BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
<BR> 
<BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
<BR> http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
</HR>



<HR>
<BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
<BR> 
<BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
<BR> http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
</HR>
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU