Hi everyone!
We had an unusual visitor to our backyard in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne today. I am not good at all at bird identification, but I have looked through this website and couldnt seem to find a match :(
Any help would be appreciated!
Emma
A butcherbird,not sure which one though.
Oh great!
Thanks!
I would say, Nathan is spot on. Juvenile Grey Butcherbird.
M-L
What a find in the suburbs, Emma! Any ideas on what might have attracted it to your backyard?
Oh I didn't know they weren't often seen in the suburbs! We do have a lot of Australian native plants in the backyard, so they might have invited him in. Although we also have a labrador so we only get a few wattle birds and sparrows that are brave enough to hop around while the dog has her back turned. We have a wetlands close by too, could that be why he's around? The only things that I've seen come from the wetlands are Ibises, seagulls and mozzies!
Emma, it probably depends on where the suburbs are. The wetland nearby as well as the Australian native plants in your garden would be factors in the grey butcherbird's presence in your backyard. Well done to the local authorties for preserving the wetland & to you for the plantings!
Interestingly (for me, at least!), I've seen grey butcherbirds a number of times near wetlands. I'm wondering if creatures like young native water rats & frogs are attractive to them.
Yes, hopefully we will be able to see some more around here!
Grey Butcherbird. If you know their calls, you would be surprised HOW common they actually are in suburbia. Most people would never even see one!