Bird feeders are sometimes not safe for “Tweety Bird” or “Jerry”.  I found a Northern Shrike hunting a feeder up in the Bog this morning. This bird may look small (about the size of a Robin), but is means death for songbirds and mice. Upon catching a small bird, vole or mouse, it vigorously shakes its prey back and forth till it breaks it breaks the neck of its catch.

Northern Shrike (Sax-Zim Bog, Minnesota)

One nickname for this bird is the “Butcher Bird”. You may wish to compare the Northern Shrike to its southern cousin, the Loggerhead Shrike which I saw in Fort Myers last week. Notice how the Loggerhead has a wider black band across its head.

Loggerhead Shrike (Fort Myers, Florida)

Here are the Cornell School of Ornithology links for both birds

• Northern Shrike
• Loggerhead Shrike