Northern Shrike

The Northern Shrike in a tree reveals its hooked beak. Photo by Roy Lukes.

We had a very exciting experience with a Northern Shrike Dec. 24 that evoked similar experiences with the same amazing creature dating back to the first time I saw one 49 years ago along the pond below the Shoto dam in Manitowoc County Dec. 29, 1961.

I had been framing pictures in the basement the day before this past Christmas when Charlotte, who was working in the kitchen, excitedly shouted down to me to, “Quick, get your camera, a Northern Shrike just hit the south-facing kitchen window and has landed in the snow right next to the front sidewalk!” Within seconds I had my trusty little Nikon Coolpix 4500 and was slowly approaching the stunned bird.

What’s so amazing is that a Sharp-shinned Hawk had made a pass at the Shrike, which in turn was after a small bird, missed it and the Shrike ended up striking the window and soon landed in the foot-deep snow, temporarily in shock. Yes, it is fairly common for larger birds of prey to attack smaller “carnivorous” birds including the only two Shrikes that breed in our part of the world, the Loggerhead and the Northern. Most Shrikes live in the Old World, many species native to Africa, for example.

The Shrike in our front yard had sunk into the snow to the extent that only a part of its back and head showed. Its eyes were open and the bird outwardly appeared to be very alert, showing considerable interest in me and my little camera I held less than a foot from its body.

Finally, after a few minutes of taking images of the bird, I carefully pushed a snow shovel beneath several inches of snow and slowly lifted the Shrike upward so most of its body showed. Now I could record more of this black-masked vagabond’s distinctly barred grayish or brownish chest, white wing patches dark wings and tail, its sharply hooked notched beak and the entire top of its body. Several more images were obtained when, without warning, the Shrike took off with powerful wing beats just inches from my face and disappeared toward the west of our house. Thankfully it was apparently not badly injured.

A Northern Shrike in a birdbath shows its black mask. Photo by Roy Lukes.

Based upon the number of sightings of Northern Shrikes we’ve had during the past few weeks, including those observed on our Christmas Bird Counts in the Sturgeon Bay and Brussels areas, this is shaping up to be a Northern Shrike winter here. These birds, along with Pine Grosbeaks and Bohemian Waxwings, are staging definite irruptions from their more northern and western winter environments where their required natural food supplies are down considerably in quantity this year. Remember that volcanoes erupt, but birds irrupt!

The Northern and Loggerhead Shrikes are the most truly predatory among the perching, or passerine, birds in our country. All Shrikes occupy roughly the same niche among passerines that hawks and owls, the raptors, do among the nonpasserines. Unlike the hawks and owls, whose weapons are their talons, the weapon of the Shrike is its sharply hooked and notched beak. Shrikes do not have talons as do the raptors, but rather normal feet of a typical songbird such as a similar-sized Blue Jay. The prey of our Shrikes consist of small vertebrates including songbirds and mice in winter and primarily large insects such as crickets, grasshoppers and dragonflies in summer. The fact that the Shrike can kill prey nearly as large, or even somewhat larger, than itself, and then tear it into smaller pieces for swallowing, places the bird in the predatory group.

Its nickname of “butcher bird” supposedly began years ago in England, the thought being that the Shrike suspended its meal on a thorn much like a butcher would hang a carcass on a hook. Undoubtedly this butcher bird nickname, along with the habits of the bird, are enough to give some people the “willies” and they do not hesitate to shoot the protected shrikes. What these people fail to realize is that, in a sense, they hire someone to do their dirty work, that the neatly wrapped beef steak or package of bacon they bought at the store once hung on hooks too as parts of some carcasses.

Paul Errington, famous ornithologist and at one time considered to be the world’s experts on marsh ecology, said that it is “unfortunate that man, the specialist in evil, sees in predation among wild animals so much evil that isn’t there.”

Having killed its prey, the shrike will often impale it on the thorn of a tree, shrub, or even upon the sharp spines of a barbed wire fence. Due to generally weak feet and toes the bird can now more easily hold its victim in order to tear it apart and devour it. It is not uncommon for the bird to store several of its victims for future use. (Don’t we store food too?)

I learned from bird-banding friends years ago that Shrikes you’ve trapped in your banding program must be carefully handled with sturdy gloves, which I always did thereafter. Some banders, who learned from experience, had deep wounds inflicted on their hands by the razor sharp pointed and hooked shrike’s beak.

A Northern Shrike held in Roy Luke’s gloved hand.

There is no question in my mind as to the great value of these sleek predatory birds to other birds, in that their populations are kept more stable and particularly more healthy. Invariably the strongest birds will escape and survive, becoming the healthy breeding stock for the coming spring.

Another point I like to emphasize, in addition to the extreme importance of these predatory winter visitors, is the excitement of these winter discoveries in our own backyard. Learn the haunts and habits of our magnificent wild brothers, our partners in nature, then seek them out and learn from them. Condition your minds and souls to the great and exciting challenges which your immediate environment offers. Makes life interesting. Try it!