[caption id="attachment_857" align="alignnone" width="230" caption="Northern Shrike"][/caption]
Only someone who spent his childhood purusing bird books could on a quick glimpse identify this bird as a Northern Shrike. I had never heard of this bird before but Troy spotted it dive bombing out bird feeders after lunch. It is a bird of prey and eats other small brids. It was diving after the hoards of Golden Finches we had in at our bird feeder at lunch today. It was the first time he had ever spotted it around the area
Quick facts about the Northern Shrike. It looks like an innocent song bird but it is definitely not.
The Northern Shrike, like other shrikes, kills more prey, if it can, than it can immediately eat or feed to nestlings. Such behavior was characterized by early observers as "wanton killing," but the Northern Shrike stores excess prey to eat later. Storing food is an adaptation for surviving periods of food scarcity.
The Latin species name of the Northern Shrike, Lanius excubitor, means "Butcher watchman."
The nest of the Northern Shrike is an open cup, but it is so deep that while incubating, the female is completely out of view except for the tip of her tail.
Both male and female Northern Shrikes sing throughout year. The male sings especially in late winter and early spring.
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Only someone who spent his childhood purusing bird books could on a quick glimpse identify this bird as a Northern Shrike. I had never heard of this bird before but Troy spotted it dive bombing out bird feeders after lunch. It is a bird of prey and eats other small brids. It was diving after the hoards of Golden Finches we had in at our bird feeder at lunch today. It was the first time he had ever spotted it around the area
Quick facts about the Northern Shrike. It looks like an innocent song bird but it is definitely not.
