Fighting Amongst the Birds

One of the butcher birds has done something to get right up the nose, so to speak, of one of the magpies. Last week one of the butcher birds flew in for brekkie and was very nervous, looking about constantly. Sure enough a magpie swooped in with beak snapping loudly and the chase was on. Eventually they both landed a distance apart on the edge of the roof. The magpie was all puffed up, wingtips pointed down and started marching sternly across to the butcher bird. The butcher bird sang out a few notes, flew up and over the maggie's head to the other side. The maggie turned around and resumed the march. This went on for about 5 minutes and my laughing seemed to break it up. It's been five days and the magpie has not forgotten.

My Sweet Baboo

Baboo has grown up over the last year and now sports adult feathers. One of her legs/feet is a bit deformed or twisted and I think it is very lucky she grew up. Twice she must have landed wrong and the foot pained her but the little bird persevered. She enjoys sitting high on the ladder and flying down over my head as I walk past. She practised singing at the warehouse and seemed amazed at what came out of her beak!

Now she is around 18months old and I believe has found a mate. Well, at least she is always in the company of a new butcher bird. They seem to chatter to each other and stay together all the time. I've never been able to find any information on how old they must be before having young or how long they live.

Not long after the magpies started coming around for a feed, a family of butcher birds arrived. They seemed a bit more shy and I've never tried to hand feed them. One day in March 2008 I saw two of them on the edge of the warehouse roof looking down at me. In between the two adults was a young butcher bird and it was obvious the parents were introducing the baby to the local take away shop!

I named the baby "Baboo" because she was ever so sweet. Never showing any fear of me, Baboo flies into the warehouse to perch either on my work table or on the big ladder. Her feathers were cream and brown as opposed to the adult black and white - good camouflage colours! One of the magpies tried to be a bully and take her mince but Baboo wouldn't let him. She backed up and sat down on the bit of meat and let out the loudest vocal objection. The maggie didn't know what to make of that and left her alone.

Butcher birds tend to all look alike and I can only tell them apart because of their personalities. Two of them were obviously the parents. One is quite shy and hangs back while the other (Father pehaps?) comes right up to the roller door. A third butcher bird must be a sibling to Baboo. He didn't seem all to happy to have a youngster around and would occaisionally try to peck the baby. Not much different from some human families!