Currawongs are a strong curious bird that will eat almost anything. They nest in thick forest and usually lay 3 eggs in spring or summer. The Pied Currawong can form large flocks in late summer and winter and may have a large communal roost.
There are 3 species of currawong in Australia:
- Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) found down the eastern seaboard to Victoria
- Black Currawong (Strepera fuliginosa) found only in Tasmania
- Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor) Grey Currawong found mainly in the southern half of Australia and Tasmania
The Grey Currawong is rarely seen in large numbers.
All species are omnivorous and they will raid other bird’s nests for eggs or young at every opportunity. They are fond of grapes and fruit and thus are a pest to farmers in some areas, usually where there is timber or forest nearby.
Currawongs seem to be far less sensitive than some other pest bird species, for example the crow. This “dull witted” attitude makes the currawong quite hard to deter at times, especially in late summer when they’re very hungry due to a shortage of natural foods. Possibly currawongs do a service to vignerons and orchardists by eating nestling silver-eyes in the spring, however few farmers are very understanding when their crop is being destroyed later in the season.
Currawong reaction to Bird Gard’s sounds can differ from area to area. Whilst the AVA is effective in one district, in another we have to use the Electronic Scarecrow (ESC) and Bird and Bat Control (BBC) combined to move them. Possibly the overlapping of different species may have something to do with this. The Super Pro #2 with a currawong distress call is also effective in some areas. The multiple-sound Bird X-8 has given excellent results and the sheer power of the Pro Amp is the most effective of all.
Darren
Hi Sandra
The device’s we use to repel currawongs emit loud sounds and they are too loud to use around a home. At the moment we are experimented with a device to see if it can repel currawongs and we’ll know if that works in a few weeks
Regards
Bird Gard
Chris
The best way to discourage the annoying birds is to feed them whiskey or whisky soaked bread.
Darren
Hi Chris
Yes I have heard that story too, but I dont know anyone who has actually done it, do you ?
Regards Bird Gard
Anna
Does this work as they are trying to kill my budgie, they already killed one
Mike
Help please ! I have lived in northern Sydney for 35 years and have rarely seen or heard a Currawong during that time. I back onto bushland which has been home to resident lorikeets, bell birds, rosellas, finches and blue wrens. These gorgeous birds have disappeared since March 2019 upon the arrival of “flocks” of Pied Currawongs in the area.
These terrible invaders have had a devistating effect on the indiginous birds. They are constantly scavenging for food 24/7 and growing in alarming numbers taking over the bushland – how can we remove them so that the indiginous lorikeets and othe parrots can return ? .. can the council eradicate them ? help !
Darren
Hi Mike
Unfortunately to repel Currawongs we use loud sounds. These sounds are way too loud to use in the suburbs. So sorry we can’t help you with this one.
Sophie Thomson
Hi we have a currawong that lives in our garden and it keeps on killing birds and hanging them in our tree. We remove the hanging bird and the currawong replaces it each time we remove it. This has been done 4 times! What can we do to stop the currawong from doing this?
Darren
Hi Sophie
Currawongs are difficult to repel in the suburbs, because we use loud sounds to repel them. However one device called the Crow Repeller we do use in the suburbs. It is still loud but doesn’t have to emit that often.It has a Currawong distress call.
Always best to give us a call before any purchase
Regards Bird Gard
Bec
Hi, we have a pair of red breasted swallows nesting under our pergola. Last year the babies were taken by a Currawong and I have just noticed that a Currawong has returned. I am desperate to try and save these swallows.
Any suggestions to deter the Currawong?
Thanks, Bec
Darren
Hi Bec
If you had a farm we could help you, but normally I would say not around the home. The device we would use emits loud sound so not suitable for a domestic situation.
Regards Bird Gard
Christine
Hi we have a sudden influx of these currawong birds here on the north coast town of Forster. The problem besides the ongoing noise day & night there must be moss in the gutters of my block of units & the birds are throwing it down everywhere including all over the car. Any tips??
Darren
Hi Christine
We cant really help you with Currawongs in a suburban type setting. The products we use to repel them all emit loud sounds that are generally to loud to use in your situation.
Regards Bird Gard
Milton Speer
Here in Surry Hills (inner city) Sydney, there’s one currawong all by itself calling all times of day and night. I don’t know how it has time to feed itself. It flies around within its environment of a few hundred square metres. It’s been like that for at least the last month.
Darren Stutchbury
Hi Milton
Sounds like your Currawong is looking for a mate, let’s hope he finds one soon!
Regards Bird Gard
Aaron Watts
We live in Toowoomba Queensland and we have multiple currawongs attacking our budgie’s though the cages and killing them, can’t use a gun to scare them because we are in town and bird noises would probably scare the budgie’s too, any suggestions
Darren Stutchbury
Yes that’s a problem. Currawongs are a difficult bird to repel, and the electronic devices that do discourage them make loud sounds that are unsuitable around the home. There is only one possible exception and that’s the crow repeller on our website. This device still does make a loud sound but brief and not often, it emits a Currawong call.
Mark
I have a problem with them dumping the seed from my bird feeder but they don’t eat the seed. Why is this?
Darren Stutchbury
Currawongs will eat just about anything. They are known to feed from bird feeders, but not really a big seed eater per se. Would they be removing the husk and rejecting the rest?
dot middleton
Hi there, we have been feeding up to 40 rainbow lorikeets for months with their favorite foods however we now get invaded by currawongs who barge in and eat everything. If i bought an ornament eagle and put it on the lawn wud this deter the currawongs?
Darren Stutchbury
Hi Dot, if it worked, an ornamental eagle would likely work better against the Lorikeets than it would the Currawongs.
jacynta
For the last three weeks I have been woken up at 4 am sometimes earlier every morning as these stinking birds have nested right next to my bedroom window and their babies (two of) cry/scream/screech whatever you want to call it for food. Only they don’t stop, they cry all day and into the night. They surround my house throughout the day and the constant “erghhhh ergghhhhhh ergghhhhhh” is driving me nuts, I’m slowly going insane. I need my sleep and my sanity back. Im in tallebudgera GC HELP.
judy mcclenahan
Why do people insist on feeding currawongs? my neighbor feeds these predator birds every afternoon , dozens of them arrive and defacate on patio and furniture( mine) . We used to have a garden full of little birds, fairy wrens, finches, willy wagtails, honeyeaters but never see one now. Why don’t people check wildlife web sites before starting this practice and realize what harm they’re doing by upsetting the natural balance
Darren Stutchbury
Hello Judy
At Bird Gard we hear such stories on a regular basis, it seems like there is one of these people in every suburb.
Some people just enjoy that sort of interaction with nature, some people might be lonely and make the birds their friends, and sometimes a degree of mental illness is involved.
However one common thread appears to be the reluctance to consider the consequences of their actions.
Local councils appear reluctant or powerless to intervene, so my best bet is to contact government wildlife authorities for assistance.
On our Eagle Kite page you will read a similar story. A fella called Keith Gordon from QLD explains his situation.
“I was experiencing an awful situation with a neighbour regularly feeding about 25 ibis and a similar number of scrub turkeys. I purchased an Eagle Kite with the telescopic pole.
“The first day I deployed the eagle, the assembled ibis, scrub turkeys and other assorted birds immediately took flight! I cannot express in words my utter joy at having a solution to this problem. Whereas I might have 20 or so scrub turkeys perched in a tree overhanging my fence, now there are none and also the dozens of ibis sitting on my fence and on my roof fouling my rain water tank and solar cells are now gone too.
“I decided to purchase a second eagle for my rural property to protect my fruit trees. Once again, the results are just amazing.
“I also happen to like wildlife and the beauty of the eagles is that there is no harm caused to any birds. The eagle’s job is to disperse the birds back to where they belong – their natural habitat – and they do this beautifully!”
Regards,
Bird Gard
Brooke
PLEASE HELP!!! We have a pied currawong attacking and eating our budgies… in the past week it has killed 6 of our breeders… what can we do!?
Darren Stutchbury
Hi Brooke
Currawongs can be difficult birds to repel, and more so around the home because the proximity of people does limit the type of products you can use.
On our website have a look at the Crow Repeller https://www.birdgard.com.au/pest-control/crow-repeller and the Eagle Kite https://www.birdgard.com.au/pest-control/osprey-kite-bird-repeller
Regards,
Darren Stutchbury
General Manager
Lily
Hi Brooke, that’s really scary. Was it able to attack and kill your budgies through the bars of the cage? How did it get near them?
I have a few Currawongs that hang around and sit on my budgies’ cage and I’m concerned. I chase them but they keep coming back. One of my budgies doesn’t seem to register it as dangerous and wants to see what they are. Is he in danger?
Thanks
Lily
Darren Stutchbury
Hi Lilly
Currawongs eat just about anything including little birds.
Some people say they will also protect the nest of another bird type from other predator birds just so they can eat the chicks when hatched.
If the Currawongs can get their beak or talons past the budgies cage, then yes he might be in danger.
To solve that problem the first thing that came to mind was to put the budgie cage inside a larger cage if that’s practical.
Or use a possum deterrent: the device has a motion sensor that will emit a sudden loud sound when activated.
You could arrange it so the budgie didn’t set it off but a Currawong sitting on the cage would, see https://www.birdgard.com.au/pest-control/possum-deterrent
Regards,
Darren Stutchbury
General Manager
Melissa Williams
Hi All,
We have a family of Currawongs behind my house, they are great birds but each Spring they get bullied by these bigger birds that make this incredibly horrible noise, they seem interested in taking over the nest the currawongs build, would you have any idea what kind of birds they might be?
Darren Stutchbury
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for your second comment – we have replied to your first question, which hopefully will address this one.
Bonny Cotter
Most likely channel billed cuckoos who lay in currawong nests.
Melissa Williams
Hi All,
I have the nicest currawongs in my area, they are very tame, seem to enjoy living near humans and you never see them attacking anything. However, around early spring for the last two years there next has been invaded. These bigger birds come in a group, make the nost horrible noise and literally spend all their time trying to take over the currawongs habitat and nest, I think they won the battle last year as the currawongs did not hany any young. Does anyone know what these birds might be and how we can help protect the currawongs?
Darren Stutchbury
Hi Melissa
Google “channel-billed cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)” – does this look like the bird ?
They are known to hassle Currawongs, and are very noisy. They will even lay their eggs in a Currawong nest and then let the Currawong raise their young for them.
Other than directly hassling the invading birds it will be difficult to protect the Currawongs. We haven’t tried to do this ourselves
Any sort of product that might repel a channel-billed cuckoo would likely repel the Currawong as well.
Regards,
Darren Stutchbury
General Manager
Margaret Fox
Early in morning in big gum tree ..saw many little possums running up n down trying to escape many currawongs ..diving n snapping at them.
Darren Stutchbury
Yes, Margaret, Currawongs are meat eaters, so will eat little possums.
Riana Kok
We live in Yarralumla, Canberra not far from Weston Park at Lake Burleigh Griffen. We have been here for just over a year now. Whilst we have had an array of King Parrots, Rosellas and Fairy Wrens since we arrived last year in late summer and early autumn, the Currawongs arrived in summer and have taken over. They even seem to be “attacking” our house, strange as it may sound., too. Sometimes some of them will dive against or keep pecking against the windows and other times fly around and around and around the house. It is very annoying, to say the least. There is a lot of open space and forest around and close to our house and also towards the old Canberra Brick Works, which is close by too. Is there a way to deter them? I miss the wonderful bird life we have found when we arrived which now seem to be gone altogether.
Bird Gard
Hi
Currawongs are stubborn birds and can be difficult to repel.
What normally works best on them is our electronic harassment devices but they do emit loud annoying sounds which could be a problem for yourself, any neighbours and the birds you would like to return.
From the behaviour you have described it sounds like you have a small family group that have decided your place is their nesting ground. As long as they like your place they will likely remain.
There are two products that you should be able to use in your situation, but we couldn’t guarantee that just one of these products would be enough to work in your situation
See the Eagle Kite https://www.birdgard.com.au/pest-control/osprey-kite-bird-repeller
And the Crow repeller https://www.birdgard.com.au/pest-control/osprey-kite-bird-repeller
The Crow repeller emits just birds sounds including an actual Currawong call. You wouldn’t play it very often, but it might be just enough to convince the Currawongs to finds a new nesting area.
Larissa
I have one really loud and annoying Currawong that lives around my house in the Tweed Heads area. It only seems to be one Currawong calling out for hours on end, in the day and the middle of the night. I was just wondering why the bird calls out so loud and if there can be anything done to get rid of this pest of a bird.
Thanks,
Larissa
Bird Gard
Hello Larissa
I wonder if it isn’t a Currawong you have, but a Koel bird. They do look like a Currawong from a distance and what you describe is exactly what they do.
If the bird is in a tree on your property we might be able to help you, best to give us a call to discuss.
Bird Gard
Hello David, we are very glad you found this article informative.
Dave
Found this comment while searching for info on Pied Currawongs. I seem to have the exact same problem as you Larissa, maybe the gold coast/tweed is a hotspot for these annoying birds. 5:00am on the dot every morning it wakes me up with it’s loud repetitive call. Then on and off all day and into the arvo it calls out. You’re a bird, you have wings ffs, just fly over to whoever you’re calling to and say it quietly like other birds. I think the only bird more annoying than the Pied Currawong is the Koel bird mentioned by Bird Gard.
Darren Stutchbury
Hi Dave
We do get to hear a lot of stories about 5.00am wake up calls!
Currawongs are on that list of birds, but it is the Koel, or Storm Bird as it is also known as, that is voted by the public as the #1 most annoying bird.
Andrew
I live in Canberra and a Currawong, yes a Currawong, has been calling from 3 am since September. It us horrible.
Darren Stutchbury
Hopefully he will find what he’s looking for. Maybe he’s looking for a friend. 🙂