White-Winged Chough
Corcorax melanoramphos
About This Species
A noisy, social bird of open woodland and farmland edges in eastern and southeastern Australia, usually encountered in small family groups foraging on the ground for insects and seeds, often flicking leaf litter aside with its curved bill. Its far-carrying, wailing calls are frequently the first clue to its presence before the birds are seen. Groups are most active and easiest to observe in the cooler parts of the day, moving together between feeding areas and communal roosts.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A relaxed distance of several metres is generally enough to watch a foraging group without disturbing it, since these birds are often tolerant of quiet observers in parks and reserves.
- Native birds are protected under Australian state wildlife legislation, so nests and roost sites should not be approached closely or interfered with.
- If a group shows signs of alarm, such as bunching together or moving off as a unit, it is best to hold position or retreat rather than follow.
LCAvesPasseriformesCorcoracidae
Seasonal Activity
238,413 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Corcoracidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.