teamed up with a hawk

[matcho]

Hey Gomer,

I'll trade you your hawk for my BUTHCHERBIRD that turned up today. He gave the rescued budgie I have in a birdcage on the back deck heaps. Scared him off and he went straight to the avairy. My resident doves were on the ground and didn't move when he flew over them to the cage front, they didn't look impressed. It is a beautiful looking bird, not the normal light grey colour but a tawny brown but has "evil" written all over it. Thank god for the perspex covers which I put on after it showed up. I know now when its around, the noisy miners send up the alarm. Isn't bird life wonderful!

[gomer]

Thats one predator we dont get around here.By the sounds of what people say about them they would give a hawk a run as being a menace.

[matcho]

Gomer.

As I said, they are just plain "evil" but they are only doing their "own" thing. Will try and get a photo if it comes back (hope not). Good luck with your feathered "friend."

[Craig52]

Thats one predator we dont get around here.By the sounds of what people say about them they would give a hawk a run as being a menace.

They are around gomer,there those birds that if you don't hear them you want see them.There here in Geelong,Colac and Warnabool and right around to Adelaide and beyond. Cheers Craig

[maz]

I've had them here in suburban melbourne, the last place i lived (when I had no aviaries) I had a family of butcherbirds that came into the yard everyday and harrassed the dog for the dog food. Mind you my dog lets the doves eat his food so .....

[matcho]

Well here is the little devil who has been hanging around for the past week or so. Not a great picture because he was a bit far away in the palm tree over the back. He was just watching as I fed the birds but had him fooled.... this time. Put the screens back up because its a bit wet here this morning.

[Myzomela]

Hi Matcho

Looks like a juvenile grey butcherbird to me. They typically have the tawny wash over them until the next moult.
They aren't called butcher birds for nothing. Even though he's still learning, he could still inflict some damage.
Hope you can keep him away from your birds.

Myzo

[matcho]

Myzo,

I thought as much because I see a pair of adults down the park and they are more on the grey side than his colour. Had one the same colour turn up this time last year so that seems right. Hopefully it will move on and find its own territory in a land far, far away.

Matcho