Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-05-03
THE BUTCHER BIRD.
NE KILLS FOR PLEASURE AND PUTS
HIS VICTIMS OUT TO DRY

on Thorn Bushes-A VerItabIe Terror Of
the W"ods-A Born Thief as Wall .s
Murderer-Thc HAif Breed Idea.
No bird native to this country is so
little known and surely none has spcb
striking habits of life as the shrike. or
butcher bird. He is O member of a fam.
lly comprising some 200 species, of
which only one we'll defined subfamilv
is resident in North America. Bold.
daring, handsome, he is at once the
oraggart and the beau of the woods. At
little distance southerner would
readily mistake him for the mockins
bird.
his blush gray plumage, tail tipped
with white and broad black patch across
each eye give him a trim, jaunty air
quite pleasing to the eye, but alas, a
| dreaded object to smaller and weaker
birds. His habitat is northern North
America, and though he breeds in the
high ground Of New England and New
YORK he grows moro common after the
Canadian line is crossed.
The shrike is born tyrant. Not con-
tent with killing and devouring all in
sects large enough to attract his fancy,
he attacks snakes, moles, mice and small
birds whenever opportunity offers. His
disposition is as unlOvable at home as
abroad, for seldom are two or more seen
together but they are engaged in an ug-
ly family quarrel They are truly car
nivorous, and except for certain weak.
nesses of bone and muscle would rank
as true birds of prey
There IS one strange, uncanny char.
acteristic, however, which separates this
woodland bully from all known birds.
Naturalists have watched it, studied it,
pondered over it and written long pages
of inexplicable explanations of it, and |
common people have doubted in their |
superstition or ignorance whether it was
the doing of a bird or a demon in bird |
form. Today it remains as deep a mys-
terry as it was 100 years ago.
This Is the puzzle: The butcher bird
in his riotous love Of killing slays many
more victims than he has any possible
use for. He seems to do it for the mere
run of the thing. Instead of leaving the
dead, however, he carries them one by
one to some thorny hedge or tree and
there impales them in all sorts of fan
tastic positions in the branches. 1t gives
one start to come out of a piece of
woods when cunning and see a thorn
tree laden with a CHASTITY crop of To-
GUSTS, toads, sparrows, grass snakes, liz
ards and chipmunks.
Ii the shriKe ever returned to feed
,pon his grim hoard, there would be an
explanation Of his conduct, and he would
be credited with the epicurean taste of
/ thoroughbred vulture who likes things
"a bit gamy." But such is not the
'ase. The weird fruit hangs for days
lpon the limbs, and If hawks or crows
10 not find and steal it it will rot until
'nly few tiny white skeletons remain
o tell of the massacre.
Comparatively few dwellers In the J
ackwoods know this eccentricity of the :
utcher bird, and hence arise many Gu :
ious and apparently we'll authenticat- !
d stories OF trees that catch birds in !
heir branches and Of storms that rain /.
d down toads and lizards, 80 that the Z
tees were full of them.
The butcher bird is a born thief as
yell as murderer and often meets his
cath while hopelessly endeavoring to
i'll and carry off tame pet bird from :
cage or to rob q hunters cabin of "
'esh meat. ANY tidbit he finds he will :
eal. even If only TO suspend 1t from a
,cust bough hard by. The Canadian =
If traders and trappers despise him !"
earthly and never lose chance to kill : :
im The half breeds call him Whisky !,
pc" and claim he is half drunk all "
10 time, and hence does these foolish
lings. h
He will spy out the most carefully a
dden trap and always manage to pur- o.
in the bait without being caught The -
lid country north OF the great lakes is
faVorite haunt Of these butchers, and IL
10 Indians who hunt and sell furs to n
10 Hudson Bay company complain bit. :
rly Of the depredations Of Whisky
,e
The shrike builds bulky, somewhat
aborate nest OF heavy sticks below,
ID upon this foundation warm cover I
Y OF bark, leaves and grass is laid. II n
usually IN some lOw tree. and the n
,gs, which are somewhat smaller than III
pigeons. are decidedly pretty. They Y
. Of a grayish green mottled, speoke6
a scratched with reddish brown, The
,ung nestlings begin their education
wTangling and hghting as soon AZ
itohed, Ia which amiable diversion
Dir fond parents set them striking aud
Fpotual examples - Now York World