shrike
Thorn-spearing passerine bird
A shrike is a predatory songbird known for impaling its prey—insects, lizards, small birds—on thorns or barbed wire, creating a gruesome larder.
This behavior earns them the nickname "butcher birds." Shrikes have hooked beaks like raptors but belong to the songbird family: A shrike perched on the fence post, scanning for prey.
Pierce and hold fast
- larderCool food storage room
- preyAnimal being hunted
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
- pounceSudden attack leap
thorns · barbed wire · cache · skewer · carnivorous · insectivorous · predatory · territorial
Perching bird order member
- songbirdMelodious perching avian
- avianOf or concerning birds
- migratoryRegularly moving between regions
- nestingMaking a dwelling
fledgling · ornithology · birdwatching · field guide · lifer · breeding plumage · clutch
Bush-dominated vegetation zone
- hedgerowLinear shrub boundary
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- scrublandArea of low shrubs
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
open country · perch · fencepost · thornbush · acacia · thicket · prairie · steppe
Horny avian mouthpart
- talonsHooked bird claws
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
- wingsLimbs for flight
syrinx · passerine · grey plumage · black mask · tail · claws
impale
Pierce and hold fast
pounce · thorns · barbed wire · cache · skewer · carnivorous · insectivorous · predatory · territorial · aggressive
passerine
Perching bird order member
- songbirdMelodious perching avian
- avianOf or concerning birds
- migratoryRegularly moving between regions
nesting · fledgling · ornithology · birdwatching · field guide · lifer · breeding plumage · clutch
shrubland
Bush-dominated vegetation zone
grassland · open country · perch · fencepost · thornbush · acacia · thicket · prairie · steppe · chaparral
beak
Horny avian mouthpart
wings · syrinx · passerine · grey plumage · black mask · tail · claws
loggerhead
Fool or turtle species
- fiscalOf public revenue
- shrikesbutcher bird
- birdsrobin, crow, eagle, owl, duck
- wild birdscrow, eagle, falcon, hawk, heron
- field birdsmeadowlark, skylark, lark, quail, pheasant
- desert birdsroadrunner, cactus wren, sandgrouse, burrowing owl, rock wren
- birds of preybald eagle, golden eagle, hawk, falcon, kestrel
shrikefrugivore
Animal eating mainly fruit
nectarivore · hummingbird · seedeater · goldfinch · canary