The Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus)
Channel: zuditaka
Date: 2014-06-02

What is this bird? It was carrying a dangling small bird like a Silvereye in its beak. (Note the fine fluffy down still stuck to its beak!) At first I thought it must be a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, because I could hear that bird's distinctive "tick tock" sound in the same tree. I could not see clearly, but by examining the footage, it does not look like a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, even though they were apparently present in the same tree during the course of some of my filming.

I presume this bird was going to eat the smaller bird it was carrying. It either dropped it or had gobbled it down fairly quickly. Perhaps you can tell me what type of bird it is? It seems to have a black mask. And its beak seems a bit Kookaburra-ish; but I don't think it's a kingfisher. And although it seems to wear a black mask, I don't think it's a Masked Woodswallow or Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, as I don't think they eat birds! Still, I am no ornithological expert!  :/

(•‿•)   ❤

Afterword:  Thanks to YouTube friend and birdwatcher RibbitHopX for helping me to identify this bird as the Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus). It was greatly appreciated.

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥