Have you ever heard of a butcherbird? If you haven’t, you might be picturing a murderous bird wielding a bloody ax. If so, you’re not off by much.
A butcherbird, otherwise known as a loggerhead shrike, is a songbird with raptor-like tendencies. It is about the size of a cardinal, but gray with black wings and tail and with a bandit’s black mask. Its head is large in comparison to its body size, which is where the name loggerhead comes from.
kAm%96 3:C5’D 3:== 92D 2 D92CA 9@@< H9:49 2:5D :? 7665:?8 @? :ED AC676CC65 AC6J @7 :?D64ED[ C6AE:=6D[ 2>A9:3:2?D[ 2?5 D>2== >2>>2=D]k^Am
kAm!6C92AD E96 >@DE :?E6C6DE:?8 E9:?8 23@FE D9C:<6D :D E96:C 923:E @7 :>A2=:?8 E96:C AC6J] q642FD6 E96J 42E49 =2C86 AC6J WC6=2E:G6 E@ E96:C D>2== D:K6X 3FE =24< E96 DEC@?8 E2=@?D @7 2 C2AE@C[ :>A2=:?8 E96:C AC6J @? 2 E9@C? @C 32C3\H:C65 76?46 2==@HD E96> E@ C:A :E 2A2CE H:E9 E96:C 3:==] ~7E6?[ E96J H:== :>A2=6 AC6J 2?5 D2G6 :E 7@C =2E6C 5:?:?8]k^Am
kAm$9C:<6D =@G6 E@ 9F?E 7C@> A@H6C =:?6D D@ :7 J@F <66A 2? 6J6 @FE[ J@F >:89E 36 23=6 E@ D66 E96> E96C6]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96C6 2C6 b_ DA64:6D @7 D9C:<6D H@C=5H:56[ E96 =@886C9625 D9C:<6 :D E96 @?=J DA64:6D E92E @44FCD 6I4=FD:G6=J :? }@CE9 p>6C:42] %96 @E96C }@CE9 p>6C:42? D9C:<6[ E96 ?@CE96C? D9C:<6[ 2=D@ @44FCD :? pD:2] %96 =@886C9625 D9C:<6’D C2?86 6IE6?5D 24C@DD E96 6?E:C6 &]$][ D@FE9 :?E@ |6I:4@ 2?5 ?@CE9 :?E@ r2?252] %96 >@C6 ?@CE96C=J 3:C5D 2C6 >:8C2E@CJ H9:=6 E96 >@C6 D@FE96C? 3:C5D 2C6 C6D:56?E] w6C6 :? %6I2D[ H6 92G6 3@E9 C6D:56?ED 2?5 >:8C2?ED 5FC:?8 E96 H:?E6C >@?E9D @7 }@G6>36C E@ u63CF2CJ]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 =@886C9625 D9C:<6D 2C6 4@>>@? :? %6I2D[ E96J 92G6 6I9:3:E65 DE66A A@AF=2E:@? 564=:?6D E9C@F89@FE >@DE @7 E96:C C2?86 2?5 2C6 ?@H =:DE65 2D 6?52?86C65 @C E9C62E6?65 :? >2?J DE2E6D[ 6DA64:2==J :? E96 >:5\pE=2?E:4 2?5 }@CE962DE] %96J H@F=5 92G6 364@>6 6IE:CA2E65 7C@> r2?252 :7 E96C6 H6C6 ?@E 2 42AE:G6 3C665:?8 AC@8C2> E92E <66AD E96 A@AF=2E:@? 8@:?8 E96C6]k^Am
kAm%96 C62D@?D 7@C E96D6 564=:?6D 2C6 ?@E H6== F?56CDE@@5 3FE >2J 36 =:?<65 E@ E96 FD6 @7 A6DE:4:56D :? 28C:4F=EFC6 @? E96 3C665:?8 8C@F?5D] %96J >:89E 2=D@ 36 27764E65 5FC:?8 E96 ?@?\3C665:?8 D62D@?] w@H H6== 2 3:C5 72C6D 5FC:?8 E96 H:?E6C 92D 2 3:8 :>A24E @? 9@H :ED ?6IE 3C665:?8 D62D@? 8@6D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ :7 2 3:C5 DECF88=6D E@ DE2J H6==\765 5FC:?8 E96 H:?E6C[ H96? :E 2CC:G6D 324< @? :ED 3C665:?8 8C@F?5D[ :E >2J ?@E 36 7:E E@ 3C665 @C C2:D6 J@F?8]k^Am
kAmw6C6 :? %6I2D[ H6 5@?’E <?@H 9@H E96 >:8C2?E D9C:<6D E92E 2CC:G6 :? =2E6 ~4E@36C 7:E :? H:E9 E96 C6D:56?E D9C:<6D E92E 92G6 A6C>2?6?E E6CC:E@C:6D] pC6 E96 >:8C2?ED AFD965 @77 :?E@ =6DD 56D:C23=6 923:E2En x7 D@[ E92E >2J 36 27764E:?8 E96:C 3C665:?8 2EE6>AED H96? E96J C6EFC? ?@CE9]k^Am
kAm%96 vF=7 r@2DE q:C5 ~3D6CG2E@CJ 2?5 E96 %6I2D |:5\4@2DE }2E:@?2= (:=5=:76 #67F86 r@>A=6I 92G6 :?:E:2E65 2 DEF5J 7F?565 3J E96 }2E:@?2= u:D9 2?5 (:=5=:76 u@F?52E:@? E@ :?G6DE:82E6 E96 923:E2E 277:=:2E:@?D @7 C6D:56?E G6CDFD >:8C2?E D9C:<6D 5FC:?8 H:?E6C] (6 H:== 36 EC24<:?8 D9C:<6D 7@C E9C66 H:?E6CD E@ >2A E96:C E6CC:E@C:6D 2?5 2?2=JK6 E96 923:E2E H:E9:? E96>]k^Am
kAmz66A 2? 6J6 @FE 7@C D9C:<6D H:E9 4@=@C 32?5D @C 2?E6??2D H96? J@F’C6 4964<:?8 E9@D6 A@H6C =:?6D] *@F >:89E D66 @?6 @7 @FC C6D62C49 DF3;64ED]k^Am
Susan Heath, Ph.D., is an avian conservation biologist for the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, 299 Highway 332 W. in Lake Jackson. Contact the observatory at 979-480-0999 or visit gcbo.org.
(0) entries
Sign the guestbook.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.