Piping Shrike
Encyclopedia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
flag
Flag of South Australia
The current state flag of South Australia, was officially adopted by the government of South Australia in 1904.The flag is based on the defaced British Blue Ensign with the state badge located in the fly. The badge is a gold disc featuring a Piping Shrike with its wings outstretched...
, State Badge and Coat of Arms
Coat of arms of South Australia
The Coat of arms of South Australia is the official symbol of the state of South Australia. It was granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 19 April 1984. They replaced a coat of arms granted to the State in 1936....
. The bird appears "displayed proper" with its wings outstretched and curved upwards. Although the image of the piping shrike is readily identified with South Australia, the bird in its own right has never been formally adopted as a faunal or bird emblem of the state.
Origins
The Piping Shrike first appeared on the State Badge which was proclaimed in 1904. The original drawing was by Robert Craig of the School of Arts. A later version drawn by H. P. GillHarry Pelling Gill
Harry Pelling Gill was an English-born Australian artist and art teacher.Gill was born at Brighton, Sussex, England, the son of Alfred Gill and his wife Frances Elizabeth, née Pelling. Gill studied at the Brighton School of Art, Hove and Sussex Grammar Schools and at South Kensington where he won...
, who was the Principal of the School of Arts, was produced in 1910. The badge design, which set the bird against a backdrop of a yellow rising sun, was incorporated into the state flag (1904) and the Coat of Arms (1984).
Identification of the bird
Because the name Piping Shrike is not currently used to identify any bird, there has been some confusion over what bird it represents. While some think it resembles the "Murray Magpie" (Grallina cyanoleuca) government sources identify the bird as the White-backed Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen telonocua formerly Gymnorhina tibicen leuconota) . The connection of this bird to the name Piping Shrike can be seen in this early observation by explorer Charles SturtCharles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
in the 1840s:
- "GYMNORHINA LEUCONOTA GOULD., The White-backed Crow Shrike. This bird is somewhat larger than, and very much resembles a magpie, but the proportion of white is greater, and there is no metallic or varied tint on the black feathers as on the European bird. In South Australia it is a winter bird, and his clear fine note was always the most heard on the coldest morning, as if that temperature best suited him. All the species of this genus are easily domesticated, and learn to pipe tunes. They are mischievous birds about a house, but are useful in a garden. I had one that ranged the fields to a great distance round the house, but always returned to sleep in it."