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Pied Butcherbird

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Habitat: Forest, Woodland

Habitat

The Pied Butcherbird inhabits drier forests and woodlands and often approaches parks and houses.

 

Behaviour

The Pied Butcherbird often approaches houses and parks and is more often seen than heard, as it sings from  a prominent perch

Feeding

All butcherbirds are aggressive feeders. Pied Butcherbirds prey on small reptiles, mammals, frogs and birds, as well as large insects. Most food is caught on the ground. The birds sit on an exposed perch and swoop down on their prey. Hunting groups may consist of several birds from a large group, which may comprise three or four adults and several young birds, but birds may also hunt alone or in pairs.

Breeding

The breeding season of the Pied Butcherbird varies throughout its large range. The female constructs the nest and incubates the eggs alone, and is fed by the male and other members of the group. The nest is a bowl of sticks and twigs, lined with grasses and other finer material. It is usually built in an upright tree fork up to 5 m above the ground. More than one female may lay eggs in the same nest.