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Silver-backed Butcherbird (Cracticus argenteus) Size: 26-30 cm; wing span: 35-42 cm Body mass: 80-120 g (race "argenteus") 68-84 g (race "colletti") Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.30-0.36 (overall)

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Silver-backed 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 white front. The back is dark-grey at the nape of the neck, with a lighter silvery-grey mantle and a white rump. The uppertail is near-black. The dark-grey wings have a prominent white stripe on the inner wing coverts. 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.

Taxonomy, classification See Silver-backed Butcherbird at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Some sources still treat the two races of the Silver-backed Butcherbird, "argenteus" and "colletti", 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 Silver-backed Butcherbird is available HERE . Silver-backed Butcherbirds are endemic to Australia. There are two extant races of Silver-backed Butcherbirds. Race "argenteus" populates the Kimberley in WA and a small part of the western NT, up to the lower Victoria River, while race race "colletti" is found in the Top End of the NT, eastward of the Victoria River, down to a line connecting Katherine, NT, with Yirrkala in eastern Arnhemland, NT. Silver-backed Butcherbirds are found mostly in tall eucalypt forest and riparian forest, including melaleuca, and along the edges of patches of rainforest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "argenteus" M. Mearns reports spotting a Silver-backed Butcherbird, race "argenteus", SW of Derby, WA, in July 2010. Race "colletti" B. Hensen reports spotting Silver-backed Butcherbirds, race "colletti", at Knuckey Lagoon, Darwin, NT, in July 2012. Another bird was found at Lee Point, Darwin, NT, right on the edge of vegetation along the beach, in November 2018. P. Brown reports finding Silver-backed Butcherbirds, race "colletti", at Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, in February 2019 and in November 2020, and another at Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, in December 2019. They were also found at the Bamboo Creek crossing, Marrakai Track, NT, and at Manton Dam, 50 km S of Darwin, NT, in March 2020. M. Eaton found Silver-backed Butcherbirds, race "colletti", at the Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, in July 2020.

Photos

Race "argenteus"

ADULT

MALE

Near-dorsal view of a male Silver-backed Butcherbird, with a clear view of its silvery-grey back
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[SW of Derby, WA, July 2010]

Race "colletti"

ADULT

MALE

Lateral/ventral view of a male Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Knuckey Lagoon, Darwin, NT, July 2012]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Knuckey Lagoon, Darwin, NT, July 2012]

Dorsal view of a male Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

FEMALE

Lateral/ventral view of a female(?) Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, February 2019]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Silver-backed Butcherbird; this is the bird whose territorial calls were recorded on 19 March 2020 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Manton Dam, 50 km S of Darwin, NT, March 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, February 2019]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Silver-backed Butcherbird; this is one of two birds whose calls were recorded on 19 March 2020 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bamboo Creek crossing, Marrakai Track, Top End, NT, March 2020]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Silver-backed Butcherbird; this is one of two birds whose calls were recorded on 19 March 2020 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bamboo Creek crossing, Marrakai Track, Top End, NT, March 2020]

Lateral view of a juvenile Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, December 2019]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, November 2020]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Silver-backed Butcherbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, February 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

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.

sbbutch_pb_20200319_2.m4a	colletti (Top End, NT)	Territorial calls	© PB
sbbutch_pb_20200319_3.m4a	colletti (Top End, NT)	Juvenile practicing	© PB
sbbutch_pb_20200319.m4a	colletti (Top End, NT)	Juvenile practicing	© PB

More Silver-backed 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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.