The comparative ecology of Australian corvids. V. Food

Abstract

1810 corvid specimens were obtained during a 7-yr study of the genus Corvus in Australia. Of these, 1490 stomachs provided material for food identification and 1405 contained sufficient material for volumetric estimation. Corvus coronoides and C. tasmanicus were shown to be the main carrion-eating species; C. mellori fed chiefly on insects, while C. orru ate a large quantity of seeds including grain grown for commercial purposes. C. bennetti, the nomadic species of the arid interior, was particularly versatile in its range of food. All species were omnivorous and showed seasonal fluctuations in diet corresponding to changes in the availability of the main food categories: flesh, insects, and seeds.