Hi Matthew & All, I’ve also heard of Butcherbirds killing small aviary birds in the way you suggest. To keep these unique birds in our city, we need to make sure that its open areas do not diminish any further. We saw a butcher bird on top of Boris' cage on the back verandah last week. Natural foods eaten by kookaburras, currawongs, crows, butcher birds, magpies and pee wees (mudlarks/magpie larks) includes … birds, mice, lizards, worms, crickets and other insects. Butcherbird, in general, any bird that impales its prey (small vertebrates, large insects) on a thorn or wedges it into a crack or a forked twig in order to tear it or, sometimes, to store it. The bird’s folk name is the “butcher bird,” and we don’t know which came first, the folk name or the butcher reference in the Latin name. While sharing food with your bird is a lot of fun and can be wonderful for your pet's emotional health, there are many common human foods that can be harmful or even fatal to your bird. Cockatiels & budgies, wild or tame are dinner to them. The best place to look for it is here. This is butcher birds we're talking about. Just another line … Found in grasslands and other open habitats throughout much of North America, this predator hunts from utility poles, fence posts, and other conspicuous perches, preying on insects, birds, lizards, and small mammals. And wild birds do not attack just because of domestication! Domestic pet food is even worse. Butcher birds, or different species of shrikes, are largely insect-eaters but the larger ones also prey on lizards, mice and other small vertebrates. EDIT: another option is to build a small aviary with plenty of shelter & hiding places away from butcher birds & other predators. The shrike is a butcher bird. (Despite the name of the Australian magpie, this family of birds is not closely related to European magpies, which are members of the family Corvidae.) Owners need to know which foods are fine for sharing and which pose a serious risk. It was the result of a toy/wheel on the side of the wire, the budgie got stuck & the butcher bird took his opportunity to tear a hole in the budgie & eat some of his insides. You may have had the briefest glimpse or heard a snatch of its song, or perhaps it was a bird you have never seen before. By "butcher bird", you mean the small gray and white bird that looks kind of like a mockingbird, that kills food and impales its prey on thorns, right? You will discover the remarkable variety of birds that occur across Australia. Bird Search. Butcherbirds are large songbirds, being between 30 and 40 cm (12–16 in) in length. Mice, meal worms and crickets can be purchased from pet suppliers. Bread is not suitable food for any bird. The loggerhead shrike is a songbird with a raptor’s habits. I lost a budgie once to a butcher bird. I’ve also known mice to eat remains of birds if the budgie had died, possibly from some another cause & they are able to get into some amazingly tight places. Birds are such social creatures, so many owners allow their pets to be included at mealtime. I'd cover the whole run in a relatively fine, strong mesh, so the butcher birds can't get in, and make sure the quail have plenty of cover to hide in. Urban sprawl is wiping out Australia's backyard-dwelling birds, say researchers, who have called for better protection for native vegetation as … Their colour ranges from black-and-white to mostly black with added grey plumage, depending on the species. Although birds are usually quite easy to see, often they are more difficult to identify. But both names reflect the fact that if prey is available, the shrike will kill more than it can immediately use.