The Piping Shrike is the emblematic bird that appears on South Australia's flag, State Badge and Coat of Arms. The bird appears "displayed proper" with its wings outstretched and curved upwards. Although the image of the piping shrike is readily identified with South Australia, the bird in its own right has never been formally adopted as a faunal or bird emblem of the state.
The Piping Shrike first appeared on the State Badge which was proclaimed in 1904. The original drawing was by Robert Craig of the School of Arts. A later version drawn by H. P. Gill, who was the Principal of the School of Arts, was produced in 1910. The badge design, which set the bird against a backdrop of a yellow rising sun, was incorporated into the state flag (1904) and the Coat of Arms (1984).
Because the name Piping Shrike is not currently used to identify any bird, there has been some confusion over what bird it represents. While some think it resembles the "Murray Magpie" (Grallina cyanoleuca) government sources identify the bird as the White-backed Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen telonocua formerly Gymnorhina tibicen leuconota) . The connection of this bird to the name Piping Shrike can be seen in this early observation by explorer Charles Sturt in the 1840s: