Skip to main content
Close

Grey Butcherbird

Cracticus torquatus

Photo by Neil Ross
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

-27.3399, 153.08

Field Notes

Description:

The Grey Butcherbird is an Australian native songbird of the family Artamidae. They have a black crown and face, a grey back, and a thin white collar. The wings are grey with large areas of white, and the underparts are white. But unlike the Pied Butcherbird, the grey's have no black bib. In this spotting, it's the easiest way to tell the two species apart. Spotted with my PN buddies Shanna Bignell and Pamela Sai. Thank you both for such a wonderful day :-) More detailed information on this species can be found at a previous spotting, also in Brisbane - http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/22655319

Habitat:

Boondall Wetlands Reserve - http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/environment-waste/natural-environment/en… The trees in this spotting location are predominantly She-oak (casuarina) and Melaleuca species.

Notes:

I've added the video so you can hear the beautiful duet of these songbirds. These are Pied Butcherbirds, but the greys sing just as merrily. A long video, but you'll get the idea. 7 minutes in and a Magpie makes an entrance, and also sings a very brief song.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)

I took two photos of this bird, but it was high in the tree so I was lucky they came out at all. You'd enjoy Australia. I'm four kms from the CBD, but in the last 10 minutes, sitting on my patio, there's been a cacophony of bird song/screeching from 2 butcherbirds, about 100 rainbow lorikeets, 2 magpies, dozens of noisy miners, crows, 2 cockatoos, and a cranky kookaburra, all at the same time. It's noisy in the burbs!
So beautiful! What a lovely song! I've never heard anything quite like it. Thank you for sharing! And beautiful picture as well :)

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon