Other birds in the same family include the Australian magpie, the currawongs, woodswallows and other members of the butcherbird genus Cracticus.

The grey butcherbird was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Lanius torquatus.

The black-backed butcherbird occurs in Australia on the Cape York Peninsula and in Papua New Guinea and has two subspecies.

[7] The adult grey butcherbird has a black head, top and sides; and a white chin and throat through to the lower hindneck.

The upperbody is mostly dark grey with streaks of narrow white bands that extends across the uppertail-coverts at the base of the tail.

[8] The juvenile is slightly different from the adult, as the juvenile does not have a black head, instead the head is a dark brown with fine streaks on the forehead and ear-covers and white loral spots that meet the eyes and bill, as well as having an off-white chin and throat.

[7] The grey butcherbird usually breed in single territorial pairs from July to January.

[8] The grey butcherbird is found in a range of habitats, from eucalypt forests and woodlands, mallee and acacia shrublands, rainforests and riparian vegetation to urban areas and residential townships.

[7] The grey butcherbird ambushes the foraging birds while they are on the ground, usually approaching and attacking them from behind.