Apostlebird Struthidea cinerea Scientific name definitions

29–33 cm; 110–155 g. Distinctive, with rather pointed feathers on head and neck giving shaggy appearance, and long dark tail; short, deep bill similar to that of a finch (Fringillidae). Nominate race has head and body grey, feathers with dark shaft streaks and paler edges , lores and ear-coverts blackish, breast paler grey; wing brown, tail black with greenish gloss; iris greyish with thin pearly outer ring, iris becomes reddish-brown in excitement; bill and legs blackish. Sexes similar. Juvenile is similar to adult, but feathers of head and body softer, with looser texture, and streaking less marked, iris brown. Race dalyi is slightly larger than nominate, has larger bill, is darker and more streaked above and paler grey ventrally.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Open habitats, especially arid and semi-arid woodlands, or shrublands with scattered trees. Bold and tame around modified habitat: farms, camping and picnic grounds and country cemeteries.

Diet chiefly seeds and insects; also takes eggs from nests of other birds, and small mammals taken occasionally. Forages on the ground, and occasionally in low vegetation. Feeds on insects flushed from ground or from vegetation; also rakes through litter, and scratches with the bill around grasses or shrubs; extracts seeds from cones of native cypress-pine (Callitris), and takes insects from beneath bark. Uses bill to hammer at hard insects or seeds. Once, during a plague of house mice (Mus musculus), both this species and Corcorax melanorhamphos seen to chase mice from under grass tussocks, grab them by the neck, and beat the victims against ground before consuming them. Forages as a group; in non-breeding season, aggregations of up to 100 individuals may form at water or where food is abundant.

Very vocal . Range of generally harsh, scolding or squeaky calls, including "kreech" as a threat or warning, also "chee-ow" given to intruders or in territorial disputes and also in play-chases by juveniles.

Laying in Aug–Feb (in austral spring-summer), but may breed in response to rain at other times in drier areas; often two broods. Co-operative breeder in group consisting of generally one breeding pair and up to 17 helpers, latter largely offspring of main pair. Nest, built by all group-members, a bowl of dried mud, reinforced with grass and twigs, placed 3–12 m (mostly 6–8 m) above ground on horizontal branch or fork of tree, especially casuarina (Casuarina) or eucalypt (Eucalyptus), and often acacia (Acacia); grass or twigs taken to source of mud, dipped in mud until coated, and then carried to nest, also mud alone added; nest built in stages, allowed to dry before new layer of material added. Clutch usually 3–5 eggs, occasional larger clutches the product of more than one female; incubation by all group-members, most of work done by primary female, incubation period 19–20 days; chicks fed by all members of group, nestling period 18–20 days; fledglings fed by group-members for c. 10 weeks; juveniles remain with group as helpers in later years. High proportion of nests successful, but many (especially those of smaller groups) suffer partial brood loss through starvation.