There are only two species of shrikes in British Columbia.
Shrikes are medium-sized birds with sharp, strongly hooked bills.
They are often strongly patterned with light and dark plumage. These birds are predators that eat small birds and mammals as well as insects. They often kill their prey with their sharp bills. Unlike other birds of prey, shrikes do not have strong feet or large talons for grasping or holding prey. Instead, they have perching feet that are characteristic of songbirds.