A Predatory Song Bird

Loggerhead Shrikes are predatory songbirds with the habits and beak of a raptor.  Although their food consists of large insects they hunt for lizards, small birds and mice.

When a shrike captures a bird or mammal, it immediately bites it behind the head to cut its spinal cord, so even large prey do not struggle for long.

If the prey is too large to consumed at one meal, the shrike hangs it up on a thorny twig or barbed wire fence for another day.

Generally, life is good.  

Loggerhead Shrike in Winter

 

This is my first close encounter with the Loggerhead Shrike.  This bird looks like a songbird, sounds like a songbird but it behaves like a hawk.  When a Shrike spots its prey, it quickly rushes down and throws its prey to the ground.

But these birds are in trouble.  Unfortunately, they are in decline.  I recently learned that Northern Utah is rapidly losing excellent habitat for this species. 

Life goes on.