" Besides killing small birds for their own consumption, they sometimes feed their chicks 



upon them." 



THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE OR BUTCHER BIRD 



T 



HE Red-Backed Shrike is 

 probably the most fierce 

 and pugnacious small bird 

 to be found breeding 

 within the confines of 

 the British Isles. I have 

 on more than one occasion 

 seen the male in hot pur- 

 suit of a blackbird, or song thrush, 

 that had quite innocently strayed too 

 near the tyrant's sitting mate for his 

 peace of mind. In fact, the nest of this 

 species may frequently be found by 

 simply watching a male and noting his 

 behaviour towards smaller birds when 

 they approach the immediate locality 

 of a bush or hedgerow wherein his mate 

 is brooding. He will not tolerate tres- 

 passers, and such are his courage and 

 ferocity that he will, sometimes, not 



3 17 



hesitate to attack even a man in de- 

 fence of his offspring. More than once 

 during my wanderings I have been 

 struck on the head by a Shrike when 

 he considered his young ones were in 

 imminent danger. 



The widely used alternative name of 

 Butcher Bird no doubt had its origin in 

 the creature's curious habit of spitting 

 small birds, mice, and beetles upon 

 thorn bushes, and then tearing them to 

 pieces when required for food. Near 

 the nest figured in the accompanying 

 coloured plate was a larder with the 

 remains of a blue tit hanging in it. 

 Besides killing small birds for their 

 own consumption they sometimes feed 

 their chicks upon them. One morning, 

 when I visited a nest containing nearly 

 full-grown young Shrikes, I observed 



