Piping Shrike is South Aus emblemic bird

[Philip Veerman <>]

Some people like to try too hard. Of course it is a white-backed magpie
(rear view), although the name used at the time was different but the name
clearly equates to Magpie (from other evidence). And the old name of Piping
Shrike is arguably no more correct or wrong a choice than Magpie. Except
that Magpie is an easy name, which works well for a well known bird. Yes it
appears to show a black patch across the rump and it is stylised. Almost
every time an animal is shown as an emblem (think of lion, eagle, whatever),
it uses a stylised depiction. This just fits the tradition........ I suggest
sending a picture and suggesting the emblem is a Magpie-lark is an
irrelevance.

Philip (incorporating some corrections to earlier messages)

-----Original Message-----
From: Birding-Aus  On Behalf Of
Ross Macfarlane (TPG)
Sent: Saturday, 15 August 2015 2:33 PM
To: 'Doug Holly'; 'Birding Aus'
Subject: Piping Shrike is South Aus emblemic bird

Unconvinced; if your theory is right the white on the wing sure isn't

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Flag_of_South_Aust
ralia.svg/2000px-Flag_of_South_Australia.svg.png


http://ibc.lynxeds.com/files/pictures/Australian_magpie.JPG


https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4040/4336142504_92113e1edd_b.jpg

-----Original Message-----
From: Birding-Aus  On Behalf Of
Doug Holly
Sent: Saturday, 15 August 2015 1:45 PM
To: Birding Aus
Subject: Piping Shrike is South Aus emblemic bird

If you look at the bird on the flag you can see it's a REAR VIEW of a
White-backed Magpie, Gymnorhina hypoleuca, and it's sitting on a perch and
the perch goes under its tail and it's looking over its left shoulder, it's
probably on the verge of taking off.



Well if you look at the bird actually depicted on the flag, it is not a
white backed magpie because it isn't uniformly black underneath. It isn't a
great representation of a magpie-lark either (no white eyebrow, and only
white flecks on the wings rather than fully white underwings,) but it's
closer than to a magpie. Or to a Pied butcherbird, which has the black hood
but even more white underwing.



Basically whoever designed the flag was no John Gould.


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