Re: [cobirds] Re: Shrike Strikes

A few years ago, I spent some time watching a Northern Shrike at Willow Spring Open Space in Centennial. (I posted a bit about it here, and the links that follow go back to some old posts.) I observed it hunting insect larvae; Dave Leatherman suggested it was likely an Army Cutworm Caterpillar. I also saw it fetch a small rodent - a mouse or vole. Often, the shrike would disappear with the food into nearby but inaccessible thickets (at least inaccessible to me), so I could never tell if the shrike was eating or caching food. I never saw the shrike hunt birds, though American Tree Sparrows that year were numerous.

The shrike was incredibly patient (at least more patient than me), remaining perched for painfully long times (at least for me). Often, it would preen as it also seemed to keep an eye on the sky (for hawks) and the ground (for prey). 

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

On Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 12:55:17 PM UTC-6 Brendan Beers wrote:

Adding to the list of stories, also a yard bird:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S77429717

Brendan Beers

Fort Collins

On Wed, May 8, 2024 at 10:22 AM Mary Kay Waddington <waddin...@gmail.com> wrote:

OK, I have to share my favorite Shrike story as well.  I was cross-country skiing and following the tracks of a mouse in the snow.  Suddenly the tracks ended with wing-prints over where they disappeared.  About 15' further on there was a barbed wire fence with a mouse skin impaled.  The body was gone, and it had also been de-gutted, since that part was on the ground.  This Shrike evidently only wanted the meat, scorning guts and skin.

Mary Kay Waddington

On Wed, May 8, 2024 at 10:14 AM mvjo...@gmail.com <mvjo...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yes others noted the stashing of the prey. This bird could not lift the house sparrow. But it tugged like crazy against a chicken wire fence protecting a shrub. Finally, it went around it and hid the prey in a greasewood shrub. Nice to know others have witnessed this phenomenon. 

John Rawinski

Monte Vista, CO

On Monday, May 6, 2024 at 11:35:37 AM UTC-6 mvjo...@gmail.com wrote:

This morning as my daughter and I were watching birds at our feeder, I saw a Loggerhead Shrike crouched on the bird bath (likely ducking the gale force winds). In a moment it flew 5 feet and struck a House Sparrow.  As it dispatched its prey, daughter grabbed her camera and got a few quick shots. Predator prey in action. Sometimes hard to watch but essential part of a system.  Something we had never seen before!

John Rawinski

Monte Vista, CO

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