drron
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2002
- Posts
- 37,950
The butcher birds are certainly very comfortable around humans. When we first arrived on the coast the pied butcher birds would come and sit on my shoulder usually. After a while I decided to feed them. After about 20 years one became very comfortable with me. Anytime I was in the garden he would come and sit in the nearest tree and started talking to me. He was an incredible mimic. He could do an excellent kookaburra laugh.
I worked out that he was the alpha male of the flock when he brought them all to entertain me They would sit in the frangipani in 3 rows and go through their calls but in rounds. Simply beautiful.
It all ended a few years ago when he came and sat in the frangipani. Every time he heard a call or a bird flew over he ducked his head and was obviously afraid. I thought he was under threat from a younger male.
2 weeks later I found him dead under the frangipani. I feel that he deliberately came there to die. So he is now buried under that tree.
The pied butcher birds then disappeared. About a year later the grey backed butcher birds arrived. One followed me around for 2 weeks before the flock all came around. They are smaller than the pied butcher birds but are known for their aggressive nature and it’s believed that they are why the name butcher bird was given to them. I certainly watched one slice up a myna.
Now I hear the calls of both species. I thought they must have been getting on well together until I saw one of the grey backs doing the pied butcher bird’s calls.
This week I have been feeding them again.
I worked out that he was the alpha male of the flock when he brought them all to entertain me They would sit in the frangipani in 3 rows and go through their calls but in rounds. Simply beautiful.
It all ended a few years ago when he came and sat in the frangipani. Every time he heard a call or a bird flew over he ducked his head and was obviously afraid. I thought he was under threat from a younger male.
2 weeks later I found him dead under the frangipani. I feel that he deliberately came there to die. So he is now buried under that tree.
The pied butcher birds then disappeared. About a year later the grey backed butcher birds arrived. One followed me around for 2 weeks before the flock all came around. They are smaller than the pied butcher birds but are known for their aggressive nature and it’s believed that they are why the name butcher bird was given to them. I certainly watched one slice up a myna.
Now I hear the calls of both species. I thought they must have been getting on well together until I saw one of the grey backs doing the pied butcher bird’s calls.
This week I have been feeding them again.
