Description
Like other butcherbirds, the Pied Butcherbird is a stockily built bird with a relatively large head and short wings and legs. It ranges from 33 to 38 cm (13–15 in) long, averaging around 35 cm (13.8 in). Its plumage is wholly black and white. Its has a black head, nape and throat, giving it the appearance of a black hood, which is bounded by a broad white collar. The mantle, and much of the tail and wings are black, while the rump, tail tip and outer wing feathers are white. The underparts are white. The eyes are a dark brown, the legs grey and the bill a pale bluish grey tipped with black, with a prominent hook at the end.
The juvenile Pied Butcherbird resembles the Grey Butcherbird, it has a buff upper throat and dark brown instead of black plumage.
The black hood helps distinguish the Pied Butcherbird from the Australian Magpie and much smaller Magpie-lark, the latter of which also has a much smaller beak.
The Pied Butcherbird has been considered the most accomplished songbird in Australia, described as a "magic flute" by one writer, richer and clearer than the Australian Magpie. Song melodies vary across the continent and no single song is sung by the whole population. There is no clear demarcation between simple calls and elaborate songs, and duets are common. The species improvises extensively in creating new and complex melodies. One of its calls has been likened to the opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
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