The question of whether Butcherbirds actually impale their prey in their arboreal ‘larder’ will probably remain with us for ever. I certainly used to believe they did. I have seen impaled birds and lizards. When I was a child and my grandfather showed
me, he said it was a butcherbird which did it. But I admit I have never actually seen a butcherbird do it nor any actual proof that a butcherbird impales anything. So I am not so sure. The real explanation is in the origin of the name. Northern hemisphere
shrikes do impale their prey and they used to be called butcherbirds in England. Indeed their Genus Lanius means butcher. I suspect that Australian butcherbirds were so named from their resemblance to English butcherbirds (shrikes), not because anyone had
actually seen them impaling their prey. Many of our bird names derive from some resemblance to an English bird, like the Magpie, and I suspect Butcherbird is one of them
The shrikes of Northern Hemisphere apparently do this. It has been mentioned or supposed that our Butcherbirds do this too but I recall a few years
ago Graeme Chapman saying that they never do this. They will wedge prey into tree forks etc to help tear it apart but he says not impale them.
Philip
From: mariko buszynski
Sent: Tuesday, 11 October, 2016 5:44 PM
To: canberrabirds
Subject: [canberrabirds] impaled Spotted Pardalote
As I was walking a dog along Launceston St. by the Canberra College close to the Yamba Drive I found an impaled Pardalote. A thin twig pierced through a breast to the back. In Japan a shrike is supposed to do this kind of things, though
a prey is not as large as this, I think. It looks as if a strong wind broke the twig and the dead bird fell on the path. Would a Grey Butcherbird do this? A Currawong would eat it on the spot? He ate a House Sparrow in a tree in our garden. I do not recall
hearing any Grey Butcherbird calling around this area. Who is responsible? Can anyone tell me?
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