Hi Stephen,
See the below, from 2003, which discusses the issue of Grey Butcherbirds
impaling their food, as you mentioned. Did you really observe this?
Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah ACT 2902
02 - 62314041
Thanks Mike for your clarification on the issue. I was not really
suggesting any impaling of food. So Mike is right that any such
suggestion was inadvertent. I have seen Grey Butcherbird put prey into a
wedge in twigs but I have not seen them impaling it. I wasn't actually
thinking of impaling (note I wrote "hanging"). All I was trying to do
was point out to John Gamblin that the birds sticking prey onto a
clothes peg on a clothes line is really just an extension of natural
behaviour and not something as astounding as he was suggesting. I hadn't
really thought of a difference between our birds and shrikes (although
the reason they do it is the same). Is this really "one of the greatest
myths in Australian ornithology"? ps I have never worked as a butcher.
Philip
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Carter <>
To: Philip A. Veerman <>; BIRDING-AUS
<>
Date: Monday, 30 June 2003 11:15
Subject: PG's Help needed. PERPETUATING the great
BUTCHERBIRD MYTH
In a reply to JAG, copied below, Philip Veerman inadvertently assists in
perpetuating what I regard as one of the greatest myths in Australian
ornithology.
That Butcherbirds impale their prey.
At least I have found no evidence of this in Grey Butcherbird which I
have observed in detail over many years. To the contrary, even when
storing food in their 'larder' as it has been called, in trees with
numerous spikes or thorns, they choose not to impale, instead wedging it
between the spikes or in clefts, never securing it on a spike as do the
Lanius Shrikes.
Convinced of the above, the late and great Graham Pizzey raised the
matter with me and we exchanged some correspondence. I like to think
that partly as a consequence of that exchange, on page 542 of the Pizzey
& Knight Field Guide he wrote the following.
"Larger victims are wedged into a fork (or an angle in wires of a fence
or clothes-hoist) for purchase to tear against. But prey is seldom if
ever impaled on thorns".
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mt Eliza VIC 3930
Ph: (03) 9787 7136
Email:
This seems like a typical thing for a butcherbird. There is nothing new
or astounding about it. More to the point, other things don't do this.
That is where the name comes from, hanging meat on hooks, like a
butcher. The shrikes of northern hemisphere do the same. The thing is,
they don't have strong feet like hawks have, so they need to secure prey
on something, while they tear it up.
Philip
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Stephen Ambrose
Sent: Monday, 17 May 2010 1:41 PM
To: 'Birding Aus'
Subject: Grey Butcherbird Larder
About 20 minutes ago I looked out of the window of my office and there
was a Grey Butcherbird with an item of prey (a young nestling) in its
bill. The butcherbird perched in a tree just 3 metres from the window
and it impaled the morsel of food on a twig in the lower foliage of the
tree, only about 4 metres from ground level. Over the next 10 or 15
minutes the butcherbird devoured the carcass by pulling off bits of meat
with its bill.
First, I'm amazed that there would be any nestlings about at this time,
especially as Sydney is currently experiencing its first real wintery
conditions for the year. I suspect the nestling was a Rainbow Lorikeet
because an adult pair have been hanging around a hollow-bearing tree in
the neighbour's garden for some time.
Secondly, it was great to have such a close view of the action from the
comfort of my office. The Grey Butcherbird seemed unaware that it was
being watched because it was so preoccupied with impaling and eating its
prey.
Stephen Ambrose
Ryde NSW
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