The Northern Shrike

There are only two types of shrikes in North

Northern Shrikes, photo taken from Birds Picture Display

America, the Loggerhead and the Northern. In the Mississagi Valley we have only the Northern Shrike. Though they are vicious they could be considered songbirds, with hook-tipped bills and a black mask around their eyes. They act similarly in nature to the hawk, but in a more grotesque manner. After killing their prey, like true murderers or villains, they hang the corpse on thorny bushes or barb wire fences. Their call is a mixture of harsh thrashing notes, kind of like a "shek-shek"; they are a "heavy-metal" songbird. They can be spotted during the winter in semi-open country on lookout posts such as dead trees and fences.