Butcherbirds In Australia - The Executioners Of The Bird World

There are five types of butcher bird that can be found in Australia. The black-backed, found in Cape York Peninsula. The grey, found across most of the country. The silver-backed, found in Northern Territory and Western Australia. The black, found in Northern Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. And the pied butcher bird, found across most of Australia's mainland. This video will concentrate on the two most common species, the pied and the grey. Butcher birds get their name from the way they hang their captured prey from spikes while they dismember it. They will use twigs, barbed wire or crevices in between branches to hang a carcass just like a butcher would hang meat from a hook. They are very similar in appearance to the Australian magpie and are in fact from the same family. They have a more thick set appearance than a magpie. Magpies are more slender looking and also have black bellies, whereas most butcher birds, apart from the black butcher bird, have white bellies. Pied butcher birds are identifiable by their black hood. I liken it to an executioner's hood as it extends from the back of their necks, all across their heads and down to their chests. They also have black feathers on their backs. Grey butcher birds, on the other hand, have white throats and dark grey feathers on their backs. Both species are found in many areas across Australia. Grey butcher birds can be found in Tasmania, whereas pied butcher birds are not found that far south. Pied butcher birds are 28 to 32 centimetres in length. Grey butcher birds are 27 to 30 centimetres in length. Both species are smaller than the Australian magpie, which is between 37 and 43 centimetres in length. Both birds have the same diet. They eat mainly insects, but also small vertebrates and some seeds, fruits and nectar. Despite their macabre eating habits and subsequent bad reputation, butcher birds have the most beautiful song. They are capable of making many different sounds and it is always a joy to hear their tones echoing through the Australian bush. Both species have adapted well to life alongside humans and are found in many towns and cities. I'm Barry from Bird Watch World. Thank you for watching this video today about Australian butcher birds. I'll catch you in the next video.