If you are interested in reprinting this article please contact me.
THE NORTHERN SHRIKE
PINE BLUFFS — Does a predatory songbird really exist? Yes! The Northern shrike (Lanius excubitor) is no myth.1 And because of its practice of killing and impaling its prey on barbed wire fences, just as butchers hang up meat in their shops, it has become known as the “butcher watchman”2 or “butcher bird.”3
These nasty, nine-inch nabobs weigh approximately two lbs., have a wingspan of 12–14 inches, and sport a gray back, whitish throat and chest, black wings with white patches, and a black tail with white outer feathers. A Zorro-like black mask runs through its eyes from the beak to the ear.4
Predatory practices
Northern shrike will kill large insects, mice and other small birds, including some larger than themselves. Launching from a high perch, they swoop down on unsuspecting prey without warning. Lacking talons like the typical bird of prey, they stun or kill the unfortunate tidbit with blows from a powerful, notched beak suitable for tearing flesh.5
The shrike kills more prey than it can consume or feed to nestlings. It was once considered a wanton killer until birdwatchers discovered that it stores the excess to eat later, a practice adapted from surviving periods of food scarcity.
Broad breeding range
In summer, these feathered friends breed in Alaska and Canada. They prefer the taiga – coniferous evergreen forests that cover vast areas of sub-arctic land. They also enjoy tundra, and are found in semi-open country where short grasses and scattered shrubs abound.6
Built by males and females, shrike nests are deep, cup-like structures of twigs, roots, bark strips, grasses and feathers, placed low in spruce or willow trees. Females lay four to seven grayish or greenish-white eggs with olive, brown or lavender blotches. Incubation takes 15-20 days. The young leave the nest at about 20 days.7
Winter finds Northern shrikes migrating to the southern portions of their summer range, and from there southward to the United States. Wyoming’s “Wildlife - Worth the Watching” program has recorded sightings in western valleys, mountain parks, and on the plains as far east as Newcastle, near the Nebraska border.8
Considering their unusual eating habits, distinctive song and unique coloring, Northern shrikes are truly extraordinary birds.