Juvenile Pied Butcherbird


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This quite large bird lived where we had our Aboriginal culture talk in Alice. I couldn't find a match in my book. Then Donna, a visitor of this website, told me this was a Butcherbird.
Taking another look into the field guide I think this is a good idea, I'd say it's a teenie Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis). But I wasn't sure, so I kept asking.
Now Chris Martin, another visitor of this website, wrote me the following:

You are right! This photo depicts an immature or juvenile PIED BUTCHERBIRD(...). The immature bird is grey-brown and NOT black; indestinct collar is lighter brown. The juvenile birds bib is buff or absent in very young birds; underparts are dirty white. The mature Pied Butcherbird is strikingly black and white (similar colour to the European Magpie), and has a white rump. A wide white collar separates black head from back and there is a white bar on the black wing.
The Pied Butcherbird would have to be amongst the most favourte Australian song birds! Their delightful flute-like voice can be heard far and wide especially early in the morning.



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