22

Pied Butcherbird

(Cracticus nigrogularis)
: "Black-throated Butcher-bird", "Black-throated Crow-shrike", "Organbird", "Break-o'day Boy"

Aboriginal name(s): Race "picatus: "koodjieko" (WA)
Size: 33-36 cm
Weight: 100-150 g

Similar
species

Description

Classification

Distribution

Sightings

Photos

Breeding

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food

Call/s

Physical description

Click here for physical description of this species Click here for a physical description

Pied Butcherbirds are medium-sized butcherbirds. The have an all-black head, down to the nape of the neck, and a large black "bib" on throat and chest. The rest of the front, from the shoulders to the sides and flanks to belly, vent and undertail coverts, is all-white. The nape of the neck and the rump are also white. The wings are black, except for prominent white bars. The uppertail is mostly black, except for white tips on the outer feathers. The eyes have dark-brown irises. The long, prominently hooked bill is grey with a dark-grey tip. The legs and feet are dark-grey. Immature Pied Butcherbirds are brownish where adults are black. Neck and chest have the lightest shades of brown, crown, wings and tail are darker.

Twitcher's tip

A Pied Butcherbird is most easily distinguished from an Australian Magpie when one knows that it has a mostly white body with black head and back, whereas the Australian Magpie is a mostly black bird with some white on its back. The black "bib" is the most prominent feature of the Pied Butcherbird's plumage.

Taxonomy, classification

See Pied Butcherbird at Wikipedia .

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 Pied Butcherbird is available HERE .

Pied Butcherbirds are endemic to Australia. They can be found over large parts of the Australian continent, with the following exceptions. Pied Butcherbirds are NOT found in the most arid parts of the continent, i.e. the Pilbara region and the great sandy deserts of western WA, the Nullarbor and most of SA, as well as the southern VIC and Tasmania. They only occasionally enter the Channel Country in QLD, the area around Broken Hill in far-western NSW or the south-western tip of WA. Nominate race "nigrogularis" is found roughly in the eastern third of the continent, from just to the East of the Flinders River catchment, to the East of Mt. Isa, QLD, and also to the East of the Lake Eyre Basin. Race "picatus" resides in the western two-thirds of the continent, with the exception of the most arid areas, as listed above.

Pied Butcherbirds are usually found in open forest and woodland.

Where to look? How to find this species?

Pied Butcherbirds adapt well to the presence of humans. They can easily be found in gardens, public parks and in other urban environments

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Race "nigrogularis"

Pied Butcherbirds, race "nigrogularis", are common birds in the area around Narrabri, NSW. During their breeding season, their whistles and warbling are always audible over long distances.

During the summer months they often retreat into bushland, because near farms and houses they have a hard time fending off attacks by Willie Wagtails. They are also weaker than Australian Magpies, which tend to dominate lawns and gardens.

Pied Butcherbirds, race "nigrogularis", were also seen by us in, and have been reported to us by various contributors from, many locations in the Great Dividing Range and to the East of it, i.e. the fringe of the East coast of both QLD and NSW.

Click here for sighting information Race "picatus"

C. Pears reports spotting Pied Butcherbirds, race picatus, in the Pilbara region of WA in July 1992.

S. Kirkby found Pied Butcherbirds, race picatus, in the Top End of the NT and in northern WA in 2011.

J. Greaves reports finding Pied Butcherbirds, race picatus, in Merredin, WA, in the Western Australian wheat belt in February 2015, in Broome, WA, in April 2015 and in Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, NT, in September 2014.

D. Wilczynska spotted Pied Butcherbirds, race picatus, at Uluru, NT, in March 2015.

H. Mouritsen spotted a Pied Butcherbird, race picatus, near Pine Creek, NT, in October 2015.

P. Brown reports finding Pied Butcherbirds, race picatus, at Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, in April 2018, and at Keep River NP, NT, in November 2018. They were also found along the Escarpment Walk, Victoria River, NT, in March 2021.

D. Dyer reports Pied Butcherbirds, race picatus, nesting in Cervantes, WA, in the 2021/2022 season.

Photos

Race "nigrogularis"

ADULT

PAIR

Pair of Pied Butcherbirds claiming their territory by issuing territorial calls
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2005]

Sex unknown

Frontal portrait of a Pied Butcherbird
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Close-up frontal view of a preening Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]

Close-up frontal view of a Pied Butcherbird looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, August 2022]

Near-frontal portrait of a Pied Butcherbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2019]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Pied Butcherbird adorning a flagpost
[Near Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

Near-lateral portrait of a Pied Butcherbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Pied Butcherbird
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Near-lateral view of a Pied Butcherbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2019]

Close-up portrait of a Pied Butcherbird nicking a piece of chicken fat
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Lateral portrait of a Pied Butcherbird
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Wetlands, Moggill, QLD, August 2022]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Pied Butcherbird
[Moree, NSW, 2015]

Lateral view of a Pied Butcherbird
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2006]

Close-up lateral view of a Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]

Closer view of a Pied Butcherbird issuing its territorial call
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]

Close-up near-dorsal/ventral view of a Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Pied Butcherbird in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature Pied Butcherbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2008]

Near-frontal view of an immature Pied Butcherbird cooling by angling its wings
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2022]

The same immature Pied Butcherbird as above after turning around...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2008]

Lateral view of an immature Pied Butcherbird after preening
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2008]

Here another immature Pied Butcherbird hunting from a post
[Warrumbungle NP, NSW, April 2011]

Lateral view of an immature Pied Butcherbird
[Narrabri, NSW, September 2010]

The same Pied Butcherbird as above, now with an insect it has just caught
[Narrabri, NSW, September 2010]

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a juvenile Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]

Juvenile Pied Butcherbird begging to be fed
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Juvenile Pied Butcherbird being fed what looks like a cricket (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a fledgling Pied Butcherbird
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, November 2019]

Race "picatus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Frontal view of a Pied Butcherbird issuing its call; this is one of the birds whose calls were recorded on 9 April 2018
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Lateral view of a Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Lateral view of a Pied Butcherbird scavenging food (photo courtesy of S. Kirkby)
[Near Darwin, NT, 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

PAIR

Pair of Pied Butcherbirds; this is the pair whose calls were recorded on 9 April 2018 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature Pied Butcherbird looking sideways (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of an immature Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of an immature Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Near-lateral/ventral view of an immature Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Uluru, NT, March 2015]

Lateral view of an immature Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Escarpment Walk, Victoria River, NT, March 2021]

Lateral/ventral view of an immature Pied Butcherbird upsetting the local population of Yellow-throated Miners
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]

Dorsal view of an immature Pied Butcherbird (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Merredin, WA, February 2015]

Lateral view of a Pied Butcherbird with a preening juvenile (photo courtesy of D. Dyer)
[Cervantes, WA, February 2022]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Nov Eggs: 3 - 5 Incubation period: 20 - 21 days Fledging age: 30 - 32 days

Pied Butcherbirds, especially females (who incubate the eggs and carry most of the responsibility for caring for the chicks), are very protective of their nests. They are one of a few bird species that swoop on humans and they are not afraid of making contact and drawing blood to get their message across.

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

Type: Basket Material: Sticks, with grass and/or other soft lining Height above ground: 3 - 15 m

Pied Butcherbird at its nest with two chicks - and the photographer got their full attention (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, November 2021]

Two Pied Butcherbird chicks in their nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, November 2021]

Pied Butcherbird on its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Umbrawarra Gorge NP, NT, September 2021]

Closer look at the same Pied Butcherbird nest as shown above (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Umbrawarra Gorge NP, NT, September 2021]

Pied Butcherbird nest, well hidden in mistletoe in a eucalypt host tree; the rosy skin of an upraised young chick's head can be seen
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]

Pied Butcherbird leaving its nest
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]

Here one can see that there are three well-developed chicks in the Pied Butcherbird nest; these are the Pied Butcherbird chicks whose begging calls were recorded on 7 November 2014
[Near Narrabri, NSW, November 2014]

Pied Butcherbird making a delivery
[Near Narrabri, NSW, November 2014]

Pied Butcherbird nest on a low fork
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, November 2019]

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

Size: 32 x 24 mm Colour: Brown, with dark-brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Sedentary Elementary unit: Pair/family

Butcherbirds are the Australian relatives of shrikes on other continents, which are known to spear their prey, e.g. insects, on spikes. We have observed such behaviour in Australia (see photos below).

Beetle left behind on a barbed wire by a butcherbird, most likely a Pied Butcherbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2012]

Beetle left behind on a barbed wire by a butcherbird, most likely a Pied Butcherbird (seen from the other side now)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2012]

Two Pied Butcherbirds, adult on the left, immature on the right, hovering above their prey in a stiff breeze
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, March 2018]

Pied Butcherbirds can be very nosy (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

We have watched a Pied Butcherbird "butcher" a lizard by wedging it into a fork of two branches and then tearing away with its hooked bill (see photos above).

Like other territorial species, Pied Butcherbirds have a call that is used only at the crack of dawn to mark their territory. It took us a long time to find out which bird was issuing that call. The photo below shows the bird.

Two parties of Pied Butcherbirds meeting at the boundary of their respective territories to stake their claims
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2022]

The following set of photos shows behaviour we have observed only once, when an immature Pied Butcherbird apparently begged to be fed by a Striped Honeyeater.

Immature Pied Butcherbird perched on a twig in a tree
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2006]

Next thing, a Striped Honeyeater joins the immature Pied Butcherbird, singing its song
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2006]

Seconds later, the young Pied Butcherbird starts begging for food...
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2006]

Pied Butcherbirds are one of the bird species that allow ants to crawl over them. According to W. Riddell, experts are unsure of the function but theories include that the chemical secretions of ants may control parasites within the feathers, or help promote moulting of feathers, as a form of feather maintenance and also as a means of attracting food.

Pied Butcherbirds are one of the bird species whose young display playful behaviour.

Two immature Pied Butcherbirds playing; here the "bone of contention" is a piece of bark
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]

Food, Diet

Like all members of the Cracticus family, Pied Butcherbirds are carnivores. They take animals from the size of a spider 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.

Pied Butcherbird with the decapitated body of what looks like a Painted Button-quail, probably the abandoned kill of a larger predator, such as a cat or a goshawk (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Ashmore, Gold Coast, QLD, June 2018]

Pied Butcherbird with the decapitated body of what looks like a Painted Button-quail; it needed to wedge the bird into a fork to be able to pluck it (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Ashmore, Gold Coast, QLD, June 2018]

Pied Butcherbird devouring a cicada (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Noosa, QLD, January 2019]

Pied Butcherbird with its prey, a spider
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2019]

Pied Butcherbird feeding on termites (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Goorrandalng Campground, Keep River NP, NT, September 2020]

Closer look at the Pied Butcherbird's "dinner plate" (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Goorrandalng Campground, Keep River NP, NT, September 2020]

Pied Butcherbird with its prey
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Immature Pied Butcherbird with its prey
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2022]

Pied Butcherbird that has found human leftovers in an urban park
[Narrabri, NSW, September 2010]

Immature Pied Butcherbird with an insect it has just caught
[Narrabri, NSW, September 2010]

Immature Pied Butcherbird scavenging for food scraps, in this case bread (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

This immature Pied Butcherbird was observed plucking apart the carcass of a Magpie-lark (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Merredin, WA, February 2015]

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.

pibutch_art_20131114.m4a	nigrogularis (SE QLD)	Contact calls	© ART
pibutch_20210226.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
pibutch_20200802_2.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Contact calls (Q&A)	© MD
pibutch_20200802.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (Q&A)	© MD
pibutch_20180914.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (Q&A)	© MD
pibutch_20180922.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (Q&A)	© MD
pibutch_20220827.mp3	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (pair Q&A)	© MD
pibutch_20210326.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Pair Q&A	© MD
pibutch_20160726.mp3	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Pair Q&A	© MD
pibutch_20180315.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Pair Q&A	© MD
pibutch_ih_20141002.mp3	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls (break of dawn, distant)	© IH
pibutch_20220404.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (swooping on Brown Goshawk)	© MD
pibutch_20140120_5.mp3	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Annoyed calls	© MD
pibutch_20140120_6.mp3	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Annoyed call (juvenile fending off Noisy Miner)	© MD
pibutch_art_20131127.m4a	nigrogularis (SE QLD)	Defending food source	© ART
pibutch_20201227.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Juvenile practising, incl. mimicry (Laughing Kookaburra)	© MD
pibutch_20201227_2.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Begging calls (juvenile) + being fed	© MD
pibutch_20201227_3.m4a	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	Begging calls (juvenile)	© MD
pibutch_art_20131214.m4a	nigrogularis (SE QLD)	Various	© ART
pibutch_me_20200412.m4a	nigrogularis (SE QLD)	? (from high perch)	© ME

pibutch_pb_20180409_4.m4a	picatus (NE WA)	Contact call	© PB
pibutch_pb_20181121_2.m4a	picatus (Inland NT)	Contact calls	© PB
pibutch_pb_20181119.m4a	picatus (Inland NT)	Contact call (Q&A)	© PB
pibutch_pb_20181120.m4a	picatus (Inland NT)	Territorial call	© PB
pibutch_pb_20200605.m4a	picatus (Top End, NT)	Territorial calls	© PB
pibutch_pb_20180409.m4a	picatus (NE WA)	Territorial calls (pair Q&A)	© PB
pibutch_pb_20180409_1.m4a	picatus (NE WA)	Territorial calls (pair Q&A)	© PB
pibutch_pb_20181121.m4a	picatus (Inland NT)	Territorial calls (break of dawn)	© PB
pibutch_pb_20180812.m4a	picatus (Top End, NT)	?	© PB

This species has a large variety of calls

Click here for more recordings

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

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pibutch_art_20131217.m4a	nigrogularis (SE QLD)	Various incl. mimicry	© ART
pibutch_20140120_4.mp3	nigrogularis (NW NSW)	?	© MD

22

Pied Butcherbird

Similarspecies

Physical description

Twitcher's tip

Taxonomy, classification

Range, habitat, finding this species

Where to look? How to find this species?

Sightings

Photos

Race "nigrogularis"

ADULT

PAIR

Sex unknown

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Race "picatus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

PAIR

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Breeding information

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food, Diet

Call(s)/Song

Similar
species