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Loggerhead Shrike/Butcher Bird

Lanius ludovicianus

Photo by ceherzog
Published on Project Noah
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27.3364, -82.5307

Field Notes

Habitat:

Near a wetland: Celery Fields

Notes:

Often called the Butcher bird because of the way it impales & hangs it's meat (caterpillar) on barbed wire spikes.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (14)
Jacob Gorneau
Congratulations, Claire! Your beautiful shrike was featured in my Project Noah blog post, "It's Life - unique abilities for unique organisms" today! http://blog.projectnoah.org/post/44147069639/its-life-unique-abilities-for-unique-organisms
ceherzog
In the new movie, "The Big Year" they say shrikes mimic bird calls to call in other species, kill them and impale them on thorns. Does anyone know this to be true?
ceherzog
Yes...I was just going over to take it's pic on the fence when I discovered the caterpillar hanging there. He then plucked it off and started eating it and generally just messing with it...flew to another post with it that was further away from me, though I wasn't very close. I've seen one impale a dragonfly too.
textless
Fantastic shot! I've heard that shrikes do that, but never actually seen them in action.
Atul
fantastic series
ceherzog
Thanks Alice & Cindy. Smart & fierce looking!
alicelongmartin
Wonderful series Claire. I used to see a shrike a couple of years ago when I walked, but have not seen one for some time now.
Thurd13
No, ceherzog, I have never seen this before. Is definitely a tool and a very smart method of securing their catch. Thanks for sharing this....!
ceherzog
Thanks Thurd13...I had sooooo much fun watching this bird. Have you ever seen them impale their catch on barbed wire.? Wouldn't you say this is a form of using a tool? They're not all bird brains!

Spotted for Missions

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Birds of the World
Photographed
PublishedOctober 9, 2011

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