They're like the Vlad the Impalers of the bird world. Yikes!
ahhhh, Vlad the Impaler. You're not the only one to think it - I found a website that calls shrikes that!
Reminds me of a great Romanian restaurant I was at in Dublin a number of years ago - not sure if it's still there. You got to dine under the watchful image of Vlad the Impaler, which added ... something ... to the dining experience. Not sure how to describe what exactly it added.