Grey Butcherbird
Cracticus torquatus
Also known as: Gray Butcherbird
About This Species
A bold, vocal songbird of open woodland, parks and gardens, it hunts insects, small vertebrates and carrion from an exposed perch, often impaling prey on thorns or forks in a shrike-like habit. Look and listen for its rich, flute-like song, frequently given from a prominent perch at dawn, with pairs holding territory year-round and most active during cooler early morning hours.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This confident, often bold species can usually be watched from a modest distance of several metres without difficulty, but nests should not be approached closely since disturbance can cause parents to abandon eggs or young.
- Native bird species in Australia are protected under state and territory wildlife legislation, making it an offence to harm, capture or disturb nests without authorisation.
- Enjoy its song and hunting behaviour from a distance rather than approaching a perch or nest directly.
LCAvesPasseriformesCracticidae
Seasonal Activity
843,153 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cracticidae
Photo
(c) davhud, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.