Silver-backed Butcherbird
Encyclopedia
The Silver-backed Butcherbird (Cracticus argenteus) is a small, shrike
-like bird. It is almost identical to the Grey Butcherbird
(C. torquatus) of which it considered by some authorities to be a subspecies, C. torquatus argenteus.
The Silver-backed Butcherbird was first described by ornithologist John Gould
in 1836 as Cracticus argenteus.
This species is snappy and fearless, diving at humans and dogs near the nest. It may attack other birds like the Spangled Drongo
or Common Koel
.
It is a part-time predator
but insects are also taken. It feeds on small lizards such as skink
s and mice along with small birds that it snares and plucks out of the sky.
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
-like bird. It is almost identical to the Grey Butcherbird
Grey Butcherbird
The Grey Butcherbird is a widely distributed species endemic to Australia. The Grey Butcherbird occurs in a range of different habitats including arid, semi-arid and temperate zones. It has a characteristic "rollicking" birdsong...
(C. torquatus) of which it considered by some authorities to be a subspecies, C. torquatus argenteus.
The Silver-backed Butcherbird was first described by ornithologist John Gould
John Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
in 1836 as Cracticus argenteus.
This species is snappy and fearless, diving at humans and dogs near the nest. It may attack other birds like the Spangled Drongo
Spangled Drongo
The Spangled Drongo is a bird of the family Dicruridae.The Spangled Drongo is the only Drongo to be found in Australia...
or Common Koel
Common koel
The common koels are three species of cuckoos. They have commonly been considered conspecific under the scientific name Eudynamys scolopaceus, but are increasingly treated as separate species:* Asian Koel, Eudynamys scolopaceus....
.
It is a part-time predator
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
but insects are also taken. It feeds on small lizards such as skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s and mice along with small birds that it snares and plucks out of the sky.