White-winged Chough

White-winged choughs are easily recognised but often mistaken for "crows" (such as the Australian raven). The white-winged chough is a large, black bird—at about 45 cm (18 in) only a little smaller than a raven or a little larger than an Australian magpie—but has red eyes and a finer, slightly down-curved beak, similar to a European chough. These red eyes become swollen and brighter in colour when the bird is excited. In flight the large white patches in the wings are immediately obvious, and explain the descriptive part of their common name. Their calls consist primarily of a grating alarm call and a descending piping call. The latter call is diagnostic for the bird in the wild, being significantly different in timbre and melody to that of other birds sharing their habitat.

The flight of C. melanorhamphos is a mixture of a slow, deep flapping and short glides. Compared to their European namesakes, they are not as strong or agile of fliers and spend a majority of their time on the ground, foraging methodically through leaf litter for worms, insects, grain, and snails in a group. They walk in a distinctive swaying motion, and call softly to one another every few seconds. A large cache, if found, is communicated via vocalizations to other members of the group. The family group walks several kilometres each day through its large territory, foraging as it goes. They take to the air only if disturbed. Choughs are territorial and highly social, living in flocks of from about 4 up to about 20 birds, usually all the offspring of a single pair. Because raising of young is a group effort, bands of chough may kidnap fledglings from other family groups so that they will be able to help them to raise their chicks next year.

Feeding. The white-winged chough will forage in litter and rotten wood for termites and beetles. Although birds have eaten pieces of apple placed out for them on feeding tables, they have not been recorded eating fruit on trees. …