Today I had great views of a pied butcherbird for about half an hour. This is the first observation I've made of this species in our area which is 4 km north north west of Woodchester in South Australia. I've checked distribution maps in several bird books & they tell me the pied butcherbird's range stops about 150 km east of us. So I'm wondering if other folk in the Fleurieu Peninsula or nearby have seen this species.
hi woko.
it sounds like a vagrant to me if it is that far out of it's range. i live in southern victoria and e don't get them either.
Cheers, Owen.
You're probably right, Owen1, although there's an increasing amount of revegetation going on in our area, some of which (including our own) is over 20 years old. So it's likely some of the habitat features favoured by butcherbirds (e.g., low branches from which to swoop on prey on the ground) are developing. I haven't seen this bird (or any others of the same species for that matter) since Monday 18th April.
We have two distinct families of Pied Butcher birds at our place .They sit on the highest branches of the Grey Box trees and call to each other .I know the whistles ,especially the flute-like three note call ,and I whistle to them .The reaction is amazing .I drop one note out of the sequence and they call that note to finish the sequence .My wife laughs and laughs and claims I've "gone to the birds " .The interaction is just incredible.
They do kill a lot of birds and I've seen them attack Willywagtails ,and bring them to their nesting area .They all need to live and they are meat eaters .Luckily there aren't big numbers of them .When they call I've noticed the wrens ,fantails and thornbills disappear into the scrubby bushes nearby ,especially Sweet Bursaria and Tangled Lignum.
I haven't had much experience of pied butcherbirds, huxter09, as they're normally out of our range. However, your information about their calls is most interesting & reminds me of my first experience of this species which was in the Warrumbungle National Park. The call made by that particular pied butcherbird was an exact replica of the theme from the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And the call was repeated about 6 times. This suggests this species is an excellent mimic (and a keen movie goer). Am I correct in this?
Gee Woko ,I'd never thought about Close Encounters and Pied Butcherbirds .My wife does think I'm nuts now 'cos I'm sitting in the study whistling the Butcherbird call !!
Maybe Steven Spielberg was an Aussie birdoe in another life as the call IS the sequence of notes in the film ,from memory . Now I need to see the film again .I'm sure the Butcherbirds around here have never heard the film soundtrack !
We're going out tomorrow to the Killawarra Forest with the Goulburn Valley Bird Observers Club so I'll pose the question to them .Maybe with tongue in cheek !
Hux
I'll look forward to your report back if you're of a mind to do so, Huxter09. Meanwhile, I'll get off my chair & do some research of my own about pied butcher birds mimicking. I might also check out Spielberg to see if he's doing the mimicking.
Woko
My research in Pizzey's A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia tells me the pied butcherbird is an "accomplished mimc". Strangely, the Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds makes no mention of mimicry by the pied butcherbird.
So far nothing on Spielberg.
Woko
If you listen long enough and regularly enough to a family of them Woko, they do vary that call...and Huxter... not only do I whistle it but I have learned to "speak" to them using the subtle lower notes that they use in between too. if ever i want to get them to call when they are watching me as I walk in the mornings, I just have to do the two low call.... 4 beats two long followed by two short...I always get an answer.... however it remains a mystery to me what I have said LOL
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hi Hux, hi birdie, don't feel bad about being "strange". My family thought I was "nuts", when they watched me talking to some rocks in the garden, of the house we lived in before. Until they noticed I was talking to a lizard, while I was handfeeding him some egg yolk from a spoon. People say lizards can't hear, but I used to call him, later even the babies came when called. Then we moved house. I soon found new skinks in the garden. In no time they came when called. I certainly speak "their language"
M-L
We have shared the past three years with a pair of Butcher Birds who have successfully reared 2 chicks 1 each season. They are a very social bird and seen to get along with Currawongs, Drongos very well. Even Blue Faced Honeyeaters seem to seek them out. I have observed them using different calls for different situations e.g warning calls. I have witnessed a juvenile raiding a wattlebirds nest and taking a chic, which I did manage to photgraph but can't seem to post it on here. It's wonderful just hearing that beautiful call which another group about .5 klm away mimick early every morning.
I never see pied butcher birds where I live but I have seen them near here. I love their call, it so flute like. I once saw them singing in tune with a magpie! They are indeed very social birds.
I used to be able to call the red whiskered bulbuls in my garden. They are gone now, but they where pests so I don't miss them, sometimes they come back though. Bird communication has always fascinated me, especially the calls of noisy minors. When one bird makes a alarm call every bird around flies away.
My husband has the knack of mimicking the Pied B B's call, when they hear this they come visit. The male once voiced a repertoire of several different species of local birds, it was amazing to hear. They seem to adapt very easily to their own particular situation/environment. Funny, if I don't see or hear them for a while I get concerned, or if one turns up without the other, they have had the same partner for the three years now. I really enjoy them.
The funny thing is, not only can I mimic the Pied BB call of 3 notes, when I do so, my cat comes running to me!!
Thanks for bringing this thread up again Malakarim as it is a very interesting read.
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
I saw an interview with John Williamson the other day - when asked what inspired his tunes he said he just listened to the bush. He gave as an example his well known song "Rip rip woodchip" - the tune is from the butcher bird call.
I'm not sure about the Pied variety, but our local Grey Butcher Birds certainly sing the first four notes regularly.