THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE. n 



sonally I have never found any of its victims in this unpleasant condition, but 

 hundreds of observers have done so.* Its food consists of insects, young and old 

 birds (even up to its own size) lizards, and mice : it seizes its prey suddenly, 

 dropping upon it when unsuspecting an attack ; for, although a migratory bird, 

 the Red-backed Shrike is not very powerful on the wing. 



The note of alarm and anger, as already hinted, is a harsh chack or char, the 

 call-note a harsh chirp, but the song, though short, is very pleasing. Herr Mathias 

 Rausch says (Gefiederte Welt, 1891, p. 446) "The best singer and mocker among 

 the rapacious birds is acknowledged to be the Red-backed Shrike or Thorn-piercer 

 fLanius collurioj . He is also the commonest and most widely distributed of all, 

 inasmuch as he may be found in a wild state throughout nearly the whole of 

 Europe. Especially good and varied singers are, however, only to be met with in 

 regions rich in birds. I have already owned Red-backed Shrikes, which copied 

 the Nightingale, the Golden Oriole, the Quail, the Blackcap, the Garden Warbler, 

 the Icterine Warbler, the Meadow-, and Tree-Pipits, and Song-Thrush perfectly, 

 and portions of the songs of other birds tolerably well. The only pity is that the 

 voice of this bird is so weak, that it is unable to reproduce the song of many 

 other cage-birds kept at the same time, but it always repays one to tend and care 

 for this songster as a cage-bird ; moreover it is easily and cheaply secured, and 

 also kept alive without difficulty. This bird, however, should especially be secured 

 by such aviculturists as cannot put up with too loud a bird-song, and who make 

 a point of not keeping several birds on account of their dissimilarity of song, for 

 by its song they will at once be satisfied in both respects." 



Of course this savage though pretty bird should never be turned into an 

 aviary, as it would undoubtedly murder and devour its companions, even though 

 as large as itself ; a flight cage, therefore, is the most suitable home for it : the 

 staple food should consist of egg, pieces of cheese, with the addition of minced 

 raw meat, cockroaches, or other insects, and occasionally a dead mouse or bird : 

 indeed the food for all the Shrikes should be almost exactly the same as for most 

 of the Corvina:, but somewhat less varied ; because many of the latter eat fruit, 

 nuts, grain, and even acorns, greedily, as well as the usual soft food. 



It is best to rear this species from the nest ; for then it is supposed to become 

 very tame and confiding ; my brief experience of the bird, caught when quite 

 young, and given to me on the I2th August, 1896, is that it is as wild as any 

 adult bird, and cuts itself all to pieces in its incessant efforts to force its way 



The Rev. H. A. Macpherson informs me, however, that he has observed both the present species and 

 the Woodchat, and Great Grey Shrikes, when engaged in devouring insects piecemeal. He has kept all three 

 species in captivity, and is intimately acquainted with their habits in a state of freedom. 



