I hear the rich carolling of the Pied Butcherbird every day but don’t so often see them at home. One of their calls has been likened to the opening bars of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. This is a close relative of the Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie and Pied Currawong, all handsome black, white and/or grey birds that visit my backyard, all with sweet warbling and/or rich ringing calls and all with a fearsome predatory bill – small lizards and grasshoppers beware.