White-winged Choughs usually occur in flocks of up to 20 birds, though sometimes many more may congregate during the non-breeding season. Flocks are composed of breeding adults and non-breeding helpers, at least some of which are young from earlier broods, and flocks often also contain birds that have been kidnapped from other groups of choughs. Members of these groups co-operate to assist with building nests and feeding and brooding the nestlings and fledgelings. When disturbed, the group usually flies into nearby trees, calling noisily. The White-winged Chough is a large, almost completely black bird. It has a curved beak, a red eye and a large white wing patch, which is seen when the bird is in flight. The bill and legs are black. Both male and female share the same plumage pattern. Young White-winged Choughs start off duskier than the adults, and the eye is brown. They do not reach sexual maturity until four years of age and, during this time, the eye changes from brown to orange and then to red, and the plumage darkens. White-winged Choughs are found in open forests and woodlands. The White-winged Chough feeds mostly on the ground. It is extremely sociable, almost always seen in groups of up to 10, raking through the grass and ground litter. Food consists of insects and some seeds. Large feeding territories are kept, which are often up to 1000 ha in size. They tend to prefer the wetter areas, with lots of leaf-litter, for feeding, and available mud for nest building. (Source: Birdlife Australia, n.d.), (Image: David Cook).