560 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
planation. Undoubtedly the Shrike returns sometimes and eats some of 
the food thus stored, but this is by no means its invariable custom. When 
its prey is abundant it usually contents itself with eating the brain and 
perhaps a part of the head, impaling the rest. If food is very scarce, or 
perhaps for some other reason, it not infrequently attacks larger birds, 
and the writer has seen it making vigorous efforts to capture Blue Jays 
and Pine Grosbeaks, and there are many records of its flying against 
windows in the effort to get a Canary Bird hanging just inside. 
The Northern Shrike is very commonly confounded with the Logger- 
head and its varieties which, however, are not found in Michigan during 
the winter, although the species may overlap each other a little in spring 
and fall. In spite of the numerous ‘“‘records” there is no reason whatever 
to believe that the Northern Shrike has ever nested within our limits; on 
the contrary it nests always in the far north and is seldom or never seen 
within our boundaries between the first of May and the first of October. 
Its nest is quite similar to that of the other shrikes, being very large for the 
size of the bird, made of twigs (usually thorny), weed-stalks, grasses, 
wool, hair, feathers, etc., and placed usually in a low, thick, thorny bush 
where it is comparatively safe. It is deeply hollowed and the eggs are 
four to seven, soiled white, spotted with brown, and average 1.05 by .76 
inches. 
The ordinary call of the Northern Shrike is a rather harsh scream or 
shriek, but, as observed repeatedly by competent observers, it has a veritable 
though decidedly peculiar song on occasions. Bicknell describes one of 
these songs as follows: ‘The song was a medley of varied and rather 
disconnected articulation, an occasional low warble always being quickly 
extinguished by harsh notes, even as the bird’s gentle demeanor would 
soon be interrupted by some deed of cruelty. It has been claimed that the 
Butcher Bird attracts birds and small animals by imitating their cries, 
thus making them its easy prey. It is true that notes similar to the scream- 
ing of small birds and the squealing of mice are interspersed through its 
song, but they are uttered without method and sometimes actually in 
conjunction with the most harsh and startling sounds of which the bird is 
capable” (Auk, Vol. I, 324-325). 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Adult in winter (sexes alike): Upper parts clear ash-gray, bleached to white or whitish 
on outer edges of scapulars, on upper tail-coverts, and along upper edge of the loral and 
post-ocular black stripe; a white spot on the lower eye-lid; a broad streak under and behind 
the eye deep black, as are also part of the nasal bristles, but the bristly feathers in the 
middle, at the base of the culmen, are usually white or whitish, and the lores mixed black 
and gray; under parts light grayish, or almost white on throat and belly, the breast and 
sides thickly marked with fine wavy cross-lines of dusky; wings mainly black, most of the 
primaries pure white at base, and most of the secondaries and tertiaries tipped with whitish; 
middle tail-feathers entirely black, or with very narrow white tips, the remainder of the 
tail-feathers broadly white-tipped; upper mandible blackish, the lower dusky at tip but 
yellowish at base; feet black; iris brown. In summer the lores are said to be clear black, 
and this is sometimes the case with winter specimens. 
Young of the year (and in first winter): Similar to adults, but lores gray; upper and 
under parts strongly washed with brownish; wings, tail and post-ocular stripe brownish 
dusky or dull black; greater wing coverts usually edged and tipped with rusty or buff; 
the under parts strongly and extensively cross-lined with brownish, only the chin and belly 
unmarked. 
Length 9.25 to 10.75 inches; wing 4.35 to 4.60; tail 4.50 to 4.70; culmen .70 to .80. 
