On December 14, Faville Grove Sanctuary participated in the 2023 Waterloo Christmas Bird Count, and between two groups, counted 27 different species across the sanctuary. As my group was winding down for the day, we made a final stop on North Shore Road, and walked out on the hill overlooking the Laas Tamarack, whose few remaining needles cast a drab yellow in the late morning sun. We were looking for a bird who may usually only be seen in Wisconsin in the winter, and who exhibits brutal behaviors for a small songbird. Soon one was spotted perching atop a tangle of shrubbery—the Northern Shrike. We were excited to be adding another species to our count for the day, but excited as well to simply behold the shrike, an impressive and fierce bird.
A shrew impaled on a thorn at Faville Grove Sanctuary (photo by Drew Harry).
The shrike we saw that day may have been having a Christmas Bird Count of their own, where numbers are not recorded on a piece of paper but rather on the thorns of wild plum or locust trees. The shrike isn’t called the “Butcher Bird” for no reason—the stealthy predator of other small birds, rodents, and large insects has a habit of impaling prey upon the sharp spines and thorns of plants or even segments of barbed wire fence after dispatching them. This allows potential storage of surplus kill, and an anchor point to feed from. This anchoring is especially important due to the shrikes’ small passerine feet, unlike the strong, clutching talons of other predatory birds such as raptors. What they lack in talons they make up for in a hooked and notched beak, an implement that spells the end for the shrike’s quarry. Shrikes typically watch for prey from a sheltered and elevated perch, and will ambush areas where other birds are detected to flush them out or force them onto the ground. We witnessed no such conduct from the shrike we observed that day, who flew away and out of sight after not too long. We were left only to imagine what manner of spoils they may be soon affixing to an unpresuming thorn or barb.
Northern Shrikes breed far north, and make their way down to the northern U.S. to stake out winter territory. They can often be found in open but brushy areas, such as the one we observed in the lowland marsh edge next to the Laas Tamarack at Faville Grove. After establishing winter grounds they’ll often stay put, meaning repeat sightings are entirely possible if one is identified. I hope to run into the shrike from our count again, and wish them luck in their continued predatory endeavors. Everything’s gotta eat something, after all.
Written by Tucker Sanborn, Faville Grove Sanctuary resident land steward
Cover photo by Mick Thompson. A gray Northern Shrike with a black mask and hooked bill perches atop a woody branch in an open area.
