Pied Butcherbird
Cracticus nigrogularis· 燕鵙科(2 photos)
Pied Butcherbird
32-36 cm. Bill blue-grey, finely hooked, tipped black; white body with black hood extending well down upperbreast, broad white rear collar; rump white; tail black with white corners. Immature: hood brownish grey; white areas greyish cream. Singles, pairs, family parties, loose companies. Perches, sings from overhead wires, dead trees; flies to ground to seize food. Hunts in pairs; co-operates with Australian Hobby pursuing small birds. Flight strongly undulating.
- Similar Species
- Black-backed Butcherbird.
- Voice
- superb slow, flute-like, mellow notes, by two/three birds alternately; day or night. Quieter sub-song; mimics.
- Habitat
- drier woodlands, sub-inland/drier coastal scrubs; watercourses, pastoral lands, treed plains, farmlands, croplands, roadsides, picnic areas, gardens.
- Breeding
- Aug.-Nov. in s. Aust.; May-June in tropics.
- Nest
- untidy, of twigs, sticks; lined with rootlets, dry grass; in fork to 15 m.
- Eggs
- 3-4 (2); olive-green to brownish; spotted darker brown, red-brown.
- Range & Status
- mainland Aust., coastal islands. Mostly absent from: driest deserts, Nullarbor region; Sydney and s. coast NSW; e. and s. Vic.; much of s. SA; forested sw. WA. Common. Sedentary.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Cracticus nigrogularis nigrogularis 2. Cracticus nigrogularis picatus
