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Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus) Alternate name(s): "Collared Butcherbird", "Collared Crow-shrike", "Derwent Jackass", "Tasmanian Jackass", "Whistling Jackass", "White-winged Butcherbird", "Durbaner" Aboriginal name(s): "koolardi"; Race "leucopterus": "wadowadong", "wardawawt", "yodjidi" (WA) Size: 27-30 cm; wing span: 37-43 cm Body mass: 80-110 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.30-0.42

Australia: Family Group 22 Family Group 22 Table White-winged Triller Varied Triller Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Barred Cuckoo-shrike Ground Cuckoo-shrike Sahul Cicadabird (Australasian) Yellow Oriole Olive-backed Oriole Australasian Figbird White-breasted Woodswallow Masked Woodswallow White-browed Woodswallow Black-faced Woodswallow Dusky Woodswallow Little Woodswallow Black Butcherbird Grey Butcherbird Silver-backed Butcherbird Black-backed Butcherbird Pied Butcherbird Australian Magpie Black Currawong Grey Currawong Pied Currawong Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Grey Butcherbirds are small butcherbirds. They have a black cap and sides of the head, a white throat patch and sides of the neck and a greyish-white front. The back is dark-grey at the nape of the neck, with a lighter grey mantle and rump. The uppertail is near-black. The dark-grey wings have a prominent white stripe. Details (in the shades of grey) depend on race. For all races, female Grey Butcherbirds are duskier than males and they have larger light-grey loral spots. The eyes of both sexes have dark-brown irises. The long, conspicuously hooked bill is grey, with a dark-grey tip. The legs and feet are grey. Juveniles and immature Grey Butcherbirds resemble females, but with more brownish colours and some scalloping on chest and flanks.

Taxonomy, classification See Grey Butcherbird at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Some sources still treat the two races of the Silver-backed Butcherbird as races of the Grey Butcherbird. We follow the taxonomy adopted by ebird.org , where the Silver-backed Butcherbird is given full species status.

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Grey Butcherbird is available HERE . Grey Butcherbirds are endemic to Australia. There are three races of Grey Butcherbirds in total. Race "torquatus" is found in South-East Australia, in the Great Dividing Range and the Southern Alps and the associated coastal fringe from about Fraser Island, QLD, to the VIC/SA border. Farther inland, basically all through the southern half of the Australian continent, race "leucopterus" occurs. Its range extends from the Gascoyne in WA, all the way through southern WA, most of SA, inland NSW, to central QLD, with the exception of the Simpson Desert in WA and the Lake Eyre Basin. In inland QLD, their range extends farther North than the tropic of Capricorn, roughly to the base of Cape York peninsula and Cairns. Race "cinereus" is endemic to Tasmania and the islands along Bass Strait. Grey Butcherbirds can usually be found in open forest and woodland, and also in mallee. They adapt to the presence of humans quite well and can be found in urban parks and gardens. Where to look? How to find this species? Grey Butcherbirds adapt well to the presence of humans. They can be found in gardens in urban environments, especially if these border on woodland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "torquatus" A. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Grey Butcherbirds, race "torquatus" regularly on the Gold Coast, QLD. Race "torquatus" is also seen by us regularly at Dorrigo NP, northern NSW, and in various locations along the NSW North Coast (e.g. Urunga). Race "leucopterus" Although easy to hear out in the bush, it took us three years to obtain a photo and thereby securely identify a Grey Butcherbird in our area, near Narrabri, NSW, which is at the boundary of the ranges of races "leucopterus" and "torquatus". Photos taken by us are all collated as race "leucopterus". They were permanent residents 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, in 2003-2006; there was also a family at Eulah Creek, 20 km east of Narrabri in 2007/08. While staying in bushland while there was sufficient rain, they only came to our place for bathing and drinking water starting in March 2008, when there had been no rain for several weeks. Consequently, although heard, NOT seen by us during the rainy months of winter/spring 2010, but heard in nearby bushland almost every day in the years since. Grey Butcherbirds, race "leucopterus", were seen by us on a trip to outback NSW and South Australia in March 2008, basically everywhere we went. J. Greaves reports spotting Grey Butcherbirds, race "leucopterus", at Merredin, WA, in February 2015. R. Plumtree reports spotting Grey Butcherbirds, race "leucopterus", in Bronzewing State Forest, near Patchewollock, VIC, in October 2019. C. Pears reports finding a Grey Butcherbird, race "leucopterus", at Quindalup, WA, in December 2022. Another one was found at Perry Lakes, Perth, WA, in June 2024.

Photos

Race "torquatus"

ADULT

PAIR

Near-frontal view of a pair of Grey Butcherbirds, male in front and the female at the back; note the male's darker cap and overall higher contrast
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, April 2023]

Close-up frontal view of a male Grey Butcherbird looking sideways
[Moree, NSW, September 2015]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, April 2023]

Near-frontal view of a male Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, April 2023]

Lateral view of a male Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Grey Butcherbird; the tapered length of the tail feathers indicates that the bird has just moulted
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP, QLD, February 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a male Grey Butcherbird looking for food
[Near Dorrigo NP, NSW, August 2009]

Dorsal view of a male Grey Butcherbird; the tapered length of the tail feathers indicates that the bird has just moulted
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP, QLD, February 2018]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, March 2023]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Grey Butcherbird looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, March 2023]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Grey Butcherbird; note the much more brownish appearance of the upperparts compared to a male (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a female Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2013]

Lateral view of a female Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, February 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up frontal portrait of a juvenile male(?) Grey Butcherbird issuing its call
[Sawtell, NSW, March 2015]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird begging for food (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2015]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Race "leucopterus"

ADULT

MALE

Close-up frontal/ventral portrait of a male Grey Butcherbird - small prey, from about the size of a cockroach to that of a mouse, will NOT want to be looked at that way...
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, June 2026]

Lateral view of a male Grey Butcherbird clearly showing the viciously hooked bill (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, January 2013]

Close-up near-dorsal/ventral view of a male Grey Butcherbird
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, June 2026]

Dorsal view of a male Grey Butcherbird looking sideways
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female, showing that Grey Butcherbirds have almost frontal vision, similar to raptors'; note the dark-brown cap
[October 2011]

Frontal view of a female Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW]

Near-frontal view of a female Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW]

Near-frontal view of a female Grey Butcherbird looking sideways; note the disproportionally tiny legs and feet, compared to the size of the bird's body
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2008]

Close-up lateral view of a female Grey Butcherbird
[October 2011]

Female Grey Butcherbird visiting one of our water bowls - a quick dip in...
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, March 2006]

out again ...
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, March 2006]

... some preening - clean!
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, March 2006]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up near-lateral view of an immature Grey Butcherbird looking at the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2025]

Close-up lateral view of an immature male Grey Butcherbird - note the brown wing feathers (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Perry Lakes, Perth, WA, June 2024]

Close-up frontal/ventral view of an immature Grey Butcherbird practising its warble
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2013]

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of an immature Grey Butcherbird - note the tapered tail feathers
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2013]

Frontal portrait of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Bronzewing State Forest, near Patchewollock, VIC, October 2019]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Leard State Forest, near Maules Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird having a drink
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]

Frontal/ventral view of a dependent juvenile Grey Butcherbird; this is one of the juveniles whose begging calls were recorded on 9 November 2014
[Gwydir Wetlands SCA, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]

Lateral/ventral view of a parent Grey Butcherbird (below) with a juvenile begging for food; this is one of the juveniles whose begging calls were recorded on 9 November 2014
[Gwydir Wetlands SCA, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a depedent juvenile Grey Butcherbird; this is one of the juveniles whose begging calls were recorded on 9 November 2014
[Gwydir Wetlands SCA, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Dec

Eggs: 3 - 5

Incubation period: 24 - 26 days

Fledging age: 28 - 30 days

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Additional information

A. Morris reports that some bird species, such as e.g. Crested Pigeons, Tawny Frogmouths and Striped Honeyeaters, like to take advantage of the protection offered by nesting under a Grey Butcherbird nest.

There is a separate page about various bird species nesting under the umbrella of a stronger, protective species.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks, with grass and/or other soft lining

Height above ground: 3 - 10 m

Grey Butcherbird nests, often placed in a vertical fork, can look untidy on the outside, but are usually neatly finished and lined.

Grey Butcherbird nest in a vertical fork
[Gwydir Wetlands SCA, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]

Grey Butcherbird nest in a horizontal fork
[Gwydir Wetlands SCA, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 31 x 23 mm

Colour: Mid-brown, with dark-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair/family clan

Where we lived until late 2006, on the edge of Jack's Creek State Forest, Grey Butcherbirds did not often come out into the open farmland. Rather, they preferred to stay in wooded areas, marking their territories from perches on tall trees, from where their calls carry over long distances.

20 km East of Narrabri, they stay in the bush during summer, but come close to the house in wintertime to hunt, mostly from fenceposts and nearby trees.

Lateral view of an adult female Grey Butcherbird wedging its meal (in this case minced meat) in a fork to then tear it apart (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Frontal view of an immature Grey Butcherbird with a feather in its bill; it is unclear what the bird wanted to do with the feather
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2012]

Food, Diet

Like all members of the Cracticus family, Grey Butcherbirds are carnivores. They take animals from the size of large ants up to small birds or small lizards. As nest robbers they are feared by other bird species. They earn their name by wedging larger prey into forks of branches and then ripping it apart.

Near-dorsal view of a Grey Butcherbird with its catch, a Praying Mantis
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, June 2015]

Close-up view of a Grey Butcherbird with its prey, a small lizard (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, October 2015]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Grey Butcherbird pulling something out of a cavity in the branch it was perched on
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

It is not easy to determine what this Grey Butcherbird was plucking apart
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

Grey Butcherbird feeding its offspring scavenged minced meat (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Lateral view of a male Grey Butcherbird taking water from a bowl (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

grbutch_20150327.m4a	torquatus (NE NSW)	Territorial calls(?) & departure	© MD
grbutch_20171209.m4a	torquatus (NE NSW)	Territorial calls(?) Q&A	© MD
grbutch_art_20150111.m4a	torquatus (SE QLD)	Idle chatter	© ART
grbutch_me_20231216.m4a	torquatus (SE QLD)	Various (family clan)	© ME
grbutch_art_20140927.m4a	torquatus (SE QLD)	?	© ART
grbutch_20250313.m4a	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Contact call?	© MD
grbutch_20260818.m4a	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Contact calls?	© MD
grbutch_20181029.m4a	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Territorial call	© MD
grbutch_20200801.m4a	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Territorial calls	© MD
grbutch_20210305_2.m4a	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (Q&A) + churring calls	© MD
grbutch_20201110.m4a	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Territorial calls(?) (+ Noisy Miner alarm)	© MD
grbutch_20210305.m4a	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (Q&A) (+ Noisy Miner alarm)	© MD
grbutch_20210305_3.m4a	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Churring calls	© MD
grbutch_20230808.mp3	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Various (pair)	© MD
grbutch_20230202.mp3	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Various	© MD
grbutch_20141109.mp3	torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW)	Begging calls (juveniles)	© MD
grbutch_me_20210425.m4a	cinereus (E TAS)	Territorial calls (distant)	© ME

More Grey Butcherbird sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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