Learn to ID: Which Butcherbird is That?

Provides tips on how to tell the difference between Pied and Grey Butcherbirds across Australia (focusing on the South-East QLD region). Includes how to identify species visually and by-ear.

Note for viewers from Darwin and surrounds: the visual ID rules for our Grey Butcherbird translate to your Silver-backed Butcherbird. The Silver-backed has a different song to our Grey.

You can use the following calls to practice identification by call:

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[johntomasini]

Great video. Where I live now the are Grey Butcher Birds, this morning they were picking up some small chicken scraps I had left over. Where I used to live there was a family of seven Pied Butcher Birds, they were very friendly because the bush fires had reduced their food supply, so we were hand feeding them, along with Magpies, Currawongs, Lorikeets, Cockatoos, Galahs and a range of other birds to numerous to mention. The most forward of the Pied Butcher Birds was Cheeky Bird, he would land on my shoulder, hop down my arm, look me in the eye and ask permission to eat the food from the container on my lap. If I left the patio door open there would be Magpies and Butcher Birds sitting on the lounge, they have no boundaries.

[WayOfHaQodesh]

Thank you so much! Love both of these birds. Laughed so hard when you said the "missing you" bit, so true.

Say, I've been living in Brisbane for 17 years now, and have been trying to track down a very melodic bird call, that I used to always hear coming home drunk, in the 2-5am range of early dawn, whilst living in St. Lucia, Brisbane, cause I was a student at UQ then.

Our always seemed to be a duet, with one bird going whaaaa" support clearly, then a pause and usually further away another would answer "whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whooop", then back again to the father pitched, whiiii whaaaa"? So beautiful, but only ever seemed to hear it late nights to early mornings.

To me at least it doesn't sound like the pied, though it's similar to the pied in how clear it's call is....

Any ideas what bird this could be?

[ameyc]

Thank you so much you provide such detailed information that's allowed me to identify my pied butcher bird whose song each morning is absolutely glorious. I learned so much from your video. Thank you so much for sharing. I love the pie butcher bird that visits here most mornings.

[demurets]

They are beautiful birds. I live with them in Hervey Bay. I feed and them and sometimes we sing together!

[LindaWallace-cg]

Love your video and thank you for upskilling me in my quest to identify my local bird life.

[PraiseL-gz]

Thank you so much for the editing - i found a bird today which has beautiful singing talent my friend tell me that could be Magpie or Butcher bird

And Pied calls wow that i have been looking for ! So beautiful singing Thank you once again 🙌

[ryfe]

Thanks, where I've lived in Sydney and Central Coast we only have Greys as far as I know, but I've been collecting sound recordings from different suburbs for years and they definitely have melodies (call&answer) specific to locations, and these evolve in families over time, sort of like language evolution perhaps. Fascinating birds!

[john_barnett]

Would like to see more videos about other SEQLD birbs

[Hemux]

@Bird Watching SE-QLD Thanks Rob for this video, always good to revise already acquired knowledge! I have a little family of pied butcherbirds that come eat at our place several times a day. I interpret their sex by their behavior, as I am no professional, but the young one asks for food in a typical fledgling way and the female is much more lovely, almost lets herself pat. Love them, beautiful singing and calls. Not as smart as Magpies though I would say. The family of Grey Bs that lives 20m away from the Pied Bs never comes.

[rodrok]

Thanks ...really helped ... our 2 juveiles and older pair are becoming close songsters at my back yard

[birdwalkz]

I heard someone the other day refer to the Pied Butcherbird "missing you" as "peak-a-boo", so you can use this if it helps you remember 👍

[AjMcKenzie-wc]

One thing I can't seem to find anywhere on the internet is the Butcherbirds moulting season. How bad can this get as I've seen some looking a bit scruffy here in Brisbane in Summer months.

[dianemurphy]

I’ve been trying to identify a bird I hear in my home area by its song. I’ve made a recording but haven’t spotted the bird. Is there some way I can send the recording for your opinion? I live near Camden NSW.

[wildhomevideos]

That's very interesting. For some reason I always thought the grey Butcherbirds were bigger than the Pied. When the Grey Butcherbird fluffs up its feathers it looks significantly larger then it is, so it is hard to compare. We live in a rural area and have both butcherbirds on our property but they are not used to seeing people and keep their distance. We do get to see the Grey Butcherbirds more often and from closer for some reason. I actually don't think they would eat pie, not even raw meat pie I don't think. Raven would be right into it though😅 Possibly in the city, but we have never seen our wild Butches to be even remotely interested in food that is not live. You know our Butcherbirds don't have the same song as yours. I really can't hear the "missing you" in their calls. It must be that our WA birds have evolved slightly different taste for music. Recently we published a video featuring an immature butcherbird which we were convinced that it was a Grey but after seeing this video I am not quite certain any more. Hmm.... and we put a label under it! I hope we haven't made a mistake😐In any case, this is a very informative and well presented video and we appreciate all the information👍

[gregwells]

nice ! means ive got both species, although i only ever see the Grey. Have found them nesting here on my little 3/4 acre up on the dividing range north of Toowoomba. hope they dont eat the Fairy Wrens that have just turned up !

[DonGladwin]

Anyway to ID individual Pied Butcher birds?