Food of the Great Northern Shrike. 
BY JOHN C. CAHOON. 
In the August number of the O. & O., under 
the heading of the “ Great Northern Shrike and 
its Prey," Mr. C. C. Maxfield says from his ob- 
servation that the food of the Great Northern 
Shrike seems to be principally English Spar- 
rows. 
With all due respect for Mr. Maxfield in his 
assertion, my own experience with this bird, 
which is based upon the taking and dissecting 
of quite a number, proves to me that in this 
section their food consists principally of bugs, 
worms and small insects. That they do oc- 
casionally kill and cat sparrows and other small 
birds, when driven to it by hunger, is assured- 
ly so, but I have shot them in the middle of the 
winter where English Sparrows were abundant, 
and upon dissection, failed to find any traces of 
sparrow in their stomach. 
Below I give the contents of the stomachs of 
five, which were shot in the fall, winter, and 
spring; 
No. 1. Adult $ . Nov. 17, 1884, Taunton, 
Mass. Contents of stomach — bugs and small 
insects. 
2. Adult ? . Nov. 27, 1884, Taunton, Mass. 
Contents of stomach — small bugs and parts of 
large ones, and buds of trees. 
3. Adult J. March 17, 1885, Taunton, Mass. 
Contents of stomach — small buds and insects. 
4. Adult $ . March 31, 18S5, Taunton, Mass. 
Contents of stomach — flies, bugs, worms and 
small insects. 
5. Adult $ . Dec. 24, 1880, Taunton, Mass. 
Contents of stomach — bugs and white worms. 
6. Great Northern Shrike, (yug.), shot at Mat- 
inicus Island, Me., Dec. 15, 1887. Stomach com- 
| pletely filled with black bugs, other small in- 
sects, and a substance resembling purple ber- 
ries. 
It has generally been conceded that hawks 
and otvls of all kinds live on birds, poultry and 
small animals, but by recent investigation by 
Dr. B. Harvey Warren of Westchester, Pa., it 
is found that many of our hawks and owls live 
wholly on mice, insects, etc. 
If all ornithologists and taxidermists would 
note down the contents of the stomach of such 
birds as come into their hands, I am certain 
that there would be many new things brought 
to light in the study of ornithology. 
[In January, ’82, I noted the appearance of a 
pair of Shrikes in the locality of a large colony 
of English Sparrows. The number of the 
Sparrows decreased until about April 1, w 
there was but one left. The Shrikes sho 
afterward disappeared. On several occasio 
observed Shrikes pursuing the Sparrows 
did not witness a capture, in afterwards 
ferring to it, while in company with Mr. S 
Dexter of Pawtucket, It. I., I found that | 
tlernan had also been observing the same d 
In tlie previous June, I witnessed a Shrike* 
ture a Sparrow within ten feet of my wind 
and fly oil' with it struggling in his beak. 
In examining the contents of several sb 
aclis, I have occasionally found parts of bi; : 
in one instance, the entire body of a 
mouse, but as a rule they have proved to 1 
been subsisting principally on beetles. 
O.& O. XlH.J niy, 1888 p. 103- ,/i K - " 
Apropos the habit of the Butcher Bird 
' of hanging its victims about in conspicu- 
ous places, the custom has its uses after 
all, as the Chickadees, which are really 
quite carniverous little chaps, often make 
a dinner from the remains, and it was this 
glcJl/W. habit which suggested a plan for provid- 
/, • f ^ ing entertainment for them in the winter 
garden parties which I used to give the 
birds. My plan was to hang scraps of 
pork rind and pieces of beef to the branch- 
es of the trees and shrubs on the grounds, 
and it was not long before all the Chicka- 
dees and Kinglets found it out. The 
Creepers and Nuthatchers sometimes 
came, too, but only in the capacity of look- 
ers on, and I never saw either touch the 
meat, although the Nuthatchers would 
sometimes take a bit of cracked corn. 
ctjuuucupaiUVsj, 11 y i 
I regardless of the near proximi 
while near by on the beach, th 
Pc wee, which oologists natura 
I roadway bridges and burn y 
about from sand to rock and 
| occasionally feeding on pieces 
The fact that birds do, a: 
I their habits, very materially i 
I is well known to science. VV 
will be the habits of the bir 
How many centuries must < 
evolution of one of the Passer, 
of the order GraUatovtts , ov vice, 
room for no end of specula tio 
several species of duck whi 
eggs in holes in trees, and w 
stories are current of ambit! 
after the manner of hawks 
| ground. 
There may have been a time' 
Duck (Aix sponsa ), built its ri 
geners among the grass ai 
swamp, but for some strange r< 
| before the discovery of Amei 
I began to ape the fashion of 
and so far revolutionized th 
| species, that ever since they 
■ in holes in trees. Just v 
of domestic life were change 
but certainly the birds of t,< 
same as their species of a ce 
world is every day learning 
Why not the birds also? 
May not the Ornithological c 
United Kingdom of America, i 
write to the daily papers on hi 
of their exploits in shooting a 
birds with electric rifles? 
We have received from Mr. 
St. John, N. B., his new Catali 
Birds, which will be noticed ii 
Correspondence. 
Editor of O. <fc O. : 
In the December, 1888, O. & O., Mr. John C. 
Gaboon takes a decided stand against the 
articles written by Mr. Benj. F. Hess anti Mr. 
C. C. Maxfield, concerning the food of the Great 
Northern Shrike. I fail to see any evidence 
that the shrikes do not feed, principally, on 
English Sparrows in winter in this country, 
because Mr. Gaboon has (near Boston) “shot 
Shrikes in the most severe winters, and found 
their stomachs filled witli insects, etc.,” or be- 
cause the stomach of the one killed Oct. 17th, 
“contained a large, white worm and part of a 
snow-bird.” Winter does not begin till Dec- 
ember 1st. 
in our ordinary winters, here, the snow lies, 
on an average, two feet deep. Last winter, for 
(Jh (0 M /V ko 
31 -v 
