72 Northern Shrike

• A group of Northern shrike are called a; Abattoir / Watch.
• The Latin words for this bird means Butcher Watchman.
• They make nest so deep that all that can be seen is the tip of their tail.
• They do not have talons so they stun or cut the throats of their pray impala them on thorns or a barb wire fence and then eat them.
• This bird has a tooth, yes a tooth, that it uses to cut down their prey.
• They are a beautiful grey bird that looks so peaceful until they strike.  It can be mistaken for a mocking bird but does not have the black mask.  They are also larger then the Loggerhead Shrike and have a larger hoke at the end of the bill.
• We saw this one a block from the house.
• These are song birds even though they are carnivorous.  They are said to be one of the oldest breeds of song birds.  They have a nice warbling type song dispersed with whistles.
• They lay 7 eggs and can have a second smaller clutch later in the year.
• They are seen in larger groups but usually pair up for breeding.