Northern Shrike

[Bobbie Ireland]

Nice one from Bob Marcotte... I did not know there were shrikes in our area. Only ever saw them in the Med.

http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/birds/?p=3248

[BIGFRANK]

This is from back in October when I was counting migrating hawks in back of the CPF Raptor Centre in Woodbridge Ontario. All winter we see Northern Shrike. Lighting stunk.

[Bobbie Ireland]

Thanks, Frank - great birds. Do they call them "Butcher Birds" there?

[MAK]

  Interesting Bobbie! They look a lot like mockingbirds. 

[BIGFRANK]

Yes Bobbie they do call them butcher birds here too. Its because they skewer their food on a branch and rip it up.
And yes they do look like Northern Mockingbirds,Mak see pic for comparison.
Not the greatest

[Bobbie Ireland]

Yes Bobbie they do call them butcher birds here too. Its because they skewer their food on a branch and rip it up.
And yes they do look like Northern Mockingbirds,Mak see pic for comparison.
Not the greatest

Saw this Butcher Bird behaviour in Majorca - quite amazing. I think it was a Red-backed Shrike, quite an attractive fellow. And MAK - once you have seen a shrike, there is no second-guessing with anything else. Trick is to see one!

[dale]

we had a discussion about them a while ago (almost 2 years, to be exact)
http://rfalconcam.com/forum/index.php?topic=1165.0