Northern Shrike

New Brunswick's Butcher Bird

Northern Shrike

The Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) is sometimes known as our 'Butcher Bird'.  It is a winter resident and gets its name by feeding on insects, birds and small mammals.  It makes its kill by delivering a heavy blow to the head of the prey with its strong beak.  It has no talons so is forced to kill with the beak.  It then either eats the prey or hangs it on a thorn or other barb, often barbed wire.  This behaviour is for convenience for a future meal or also to mark territory.

The Northern Shrike is 25 cm (10 in) long and appears large-headed.  It is gray on the back and white on the underparts.  The black wings, black mask and long black white-edged tail are prominent.  The base of the primary wing feathers shows a white patch which is very obvious in flight.  The hooked beak identifies this bird as a shrike.  The adult shows very faint horizontal stripes on the breast.  The juvenile bird is much browner with more prominent horizontal breast stripes.  Since this species is a hunter, it often sits on an exposed perch, but not as upright as most hawks.  Its frequent tail wagging is characteristic.

The Northern Shrike breeds in the Canadian far north; Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Northern Quebec, Labrador; and Alaska.  It winters in southern Canada and into the northern US, a bit more southerly in the mid-western US.  We have had reports of sightings of this species here in NB now since early November.  

Northern Shrike

The Northern Shrike is not usually mistaken for another species.  It possibly could be mistaken for a Northern Mockingbird which is similarly coloured.  The white wing patch on the shrike in flight is much smaller than that of the mockingbird.  Nor does the mockingbird have a hooked bill.  Very rarely we get a Loggerhead Shrike here, a vagrant from the south which might appear in summer.  It is smaller, darker on the back and its mask extends over its forehead.  This species would require close scrutiny to differentiate.

The Northern Shrike builds its nest in a tree 3 to 6 metres off the ground.  Its nest is built of sticks and lined with feathers, hair and fine plant fibres.  Four to nine gray or green eggs are laid.  The nest is built so deep that when the female is incubating the eggs, all one can see is the tip of her tail.  The vocals of this species are low-pitched, shrill cries and rattles.  They also make other nasal and harsh sounds.