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Grey ButcherbirdAlternate 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: 26-30 cm Weight: 70-120 g |
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Similar |
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Description
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
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 Click here for a physical description
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See Grey
Butcherbird at Wikipedia Click here for classification information
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
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Click here for sighting information
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Photos |
Race "torquatus"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Close-up frontal view of a male(?) Grey Butcherbird
[Moree, NSW, September 2015]
Close-up frontal portrait of a young male(?) Grey Butcherbird issuing
its call; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 27 March 2015
[Sawtell, NSW, March 2015]
Near-frontal view of a male Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of
A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]
Lateral view of a male Grey Butcherbird (photo courtesy of
A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]
Lateral 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]
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]
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FEMALE |
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]
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PAIR |
Near-frontal view of a pair of Grey Butcherbirds, with the male in front
and the female at the back
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male Grey Butcherbird
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2012]
This lateral view of a male Grey Butcherbird clearly shows the viciously
hooked bill (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, January 2013]
Dorsal view of an adult (male?) Grey Butcherbird
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]
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FEMALE |
This frontal view of a female Grey Butcherbird shows that this species
has almost frontal vision, similar to raptors'
[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; 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, 2006]
out again ...
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
... some preening - clean!
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal/ventral view of an immature Grey Butcherbird practising
its warble
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2013]
Near-frontal/ventral view of an immature Grey Butcherbird
(note how 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]
Lateral view of an juvenile Grey Butcherbird having a drink
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]
Juvenile Grey Butcherbird flying a hairpin bend
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird;
this is one of the juveniles whose
begging calls were
recorded on 9 November 2014
[Gwydir Wetlands, 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, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a juvenile Grey Butcherbird;
this is one of the juveniles whose
begging calls were
recorded on 9 November 2014
[Gwydir Wetlands, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]
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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 |
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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 now a separate page about various bird species nesting under the umbrella of a stronger, protective species.
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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, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]
Grey Butcherbird nest in a horizontal fork
[Gwydir Wetlands, near Moree, NSW, November 2014]
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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 |
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary | Elementary unit: Pair/family |
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]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
This immature Grey Butcherbird was seen with a feather in its bill;
it is unclear what the bird wanted to do with the feather
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2012]
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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.
Grey Butcherbird with a beetle that it has just caught;
Willie Wagtails
don't like having butcherbirds around, knowing that, given a
chance, the butcherbird would also take their chicks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2012]
This Grey Butcherbird has caught a Praying Mantis
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, June 2015]
Grey Butcherbird with its prey, a small lizard (photo courtesy
of R. Druce)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, October 2015]
This female Grey Butcherbird was seen pulling something out
of a cavity in the branch it is sitting 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]
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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_art_20140927.m4a |
torquatus (SE QLD) |
? | © ART | |
| grbutch_20140109.m4a |
torquatus/leucopterus (NW NSW) |
Contact call | © 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_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
.