Grey Butcherbird
Cracticus torquatus
Size: Birds Size: 24-30 cm
Family: Artamidae (Woodswallows, Butcherbirds, Currawongs, 15 species in Australia)
Distribution: Approximately the southern half of Australia, most of QLD except the extreme northwest, only the southernmost part of NT.
Status: Common to locally uncommon
Habitat: Open forest, woodland, mallee, urban, farmland
References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest
About the Grey Butcherbird
The grey butcherbird is a small bird in the same family as magpies and currawongs. It has a lovely song, which is its most distinctive feature. It is often heard in the lower and mid Blue Mountains. There is also a pied butcherbird which is black and white coloured.
It has a pronounced hook at the end of its beak that can be seen up close.
Photo: Blaxland, Blue Mountains NSW.
Photo: Blaxland, Blue Mountains NSW.
Artwork: John Gould, 'The Birds of Australia', 1848. Higher Resolution 701 x 1000.
See Also
Australian Mammals
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Spiders and Their Faces
Australian Wild Plant Foods
Return to Australian Birds
