Common Fiscal (Juvenile)

Sitting on the patio one evening last week, we noticed a bird on the paving. It wasn't at all concerned about Chappie, the cat lying nearby. As I zoomed in with my camera, I realized it was a young bird: a Juvenile Common Fiscal. 

The first photo was slightly blurred...

...next minute the bird flew off...

...and sat on the garden wall

...affording me many good shots! 

The Common Fiscal is a very common resident, generally sedentary. I've posted several photos of the adult but this is the first time here in Marquard that I'm able to show the juvenile. The adult has black underparts with a distinctive V on the back. 

Note that the juvenile is duller and browner . with finely barred blackish above and below. The bird above is almost adult as its bars are becoming indistinct already. 

Its food is mainly insects and small vertebrates including birds, reptiles and rodents. Occasionally it will eat seeds and food scraps. 

When I was young this bird we knew this bird as "jackie hangman" or the Butcher bird!  It often hangs its [live] prey on barbed wire fences or thorns of trees and comes back to its pantry when hungry. 

Common Fiscal (adult) male. This photo was taken in May - probably the juvenile here is his offspring as the Common Fiscal normally habituates a 100m square of territory

I'm linking my post to Wild Bird Wednesday here

Happy Wednesday to you all!