A pair of Pied Butcherbirds has inhabited this particular corner of Kurilpa for a short time. They moved in after COVID – a time when many bird species thrived. In the tall trees at the end of the road, they vie for territory with their cousins, the Australian Magpie and the Pied Currawong and the distantly related, ubiquitous Noisy Miners and Crows.
Since moving in, they watch residents with their beady black eyes. They have worked out that we can provide for all their needs: one neighbour feeds them pieces of mince off the back deck; another provides water; and others have yards with materials needed to construct and line their large stick nests.
These medium-sized, black and white birds have a black hood, bib, and long grey bill with a dark hooked tip. They are melody itself. Pre-dawn, they awaken the suburb with their tuneful crooning, singing duets throughout the day to mark territory and carolling at night to farewell the sun. They not only sing their own songs but are also fantastic mimics. Pied Butcherbirds have been recorded producing sounds as different as reversing trucks, police sirens and car alarms, as well as passable renditions of the song of every bird they have ever met, including the nocturnal ones.
Their common name, butcherbird, is derived from this species’ curious habit of impaling their prey on a stick. Butchers similarly hang meat, though now away from our sight. The birds use this method to contain their prey before devouring it.
When the local Pied Butcherbird pair sees this hapless human approaching the street’s community compost bin, it swoops in from a nearby utility pole, waiting for the treasure trove to be opened. It knows many goodies lurk within. Once the lid is opened, the birds pounce and feed.
They have us trained, and they have done it well.
Photo Credit: Pablo Silber – Pied Butcherbird with compost bin
For more information: https://fauna.com.au/species-profiles/pied-butcherbird-cracticus-nigrogularis/
