Pied Butcherbird

Butcherbirds are a puzzle to me. I've shown you all the Eastern Grey Butcherbird, and also the one that I always called Little Butchie.

I believe this Butcherbird is a Pied Butcherbird. He has different colourings again to the other two I have blipped.

Little Butchie was the original in the garden. He was very tame and would fly straight up to me and ask for food. Just before Christmas last year though, he disappeared! In his place was the Eastern Grey Butcherbird, a very timid little fellow, who is getting a little bit used to me, but is still wary and watches me with suspicion from the clothesline.

During the last couple of weeks, the Pied Butcherbird has appeared, and boy oh boy, is he timid! He has no grey in his feathers at all, being completely black and white.

It was a stroke of luck that I happened to be outside (with my camera) this morning and I noticed him on the veranda pier. I stopped dead still so as not to frighten him and managed a few photos, standing at a distance and zoomed in.

With the arrival of the Pied Butcherbird, the Eastern Grey hasn't vanished in the same way as Little Butchie did, so all in all I'm puzzled as to the habits, territorial rights and family arrangements of Butcherbirds.

And another thing, word gets around very fast amongst the new arrivals as to where the food can be found! :)