The Great Northern Shrike and its 
Prey. 
BY BENJ. F. HESS, PHOENIX, N. Y. 
The Gre 
In the Ji 
short artie 
see raysel 
thorns, etc 
Instead c 
In the spring of 1885 I had the opportunity of 
seeing a Butcher bird kill a meadow mole, (Ar- 
vicola riparius). It would strike the mole on 
the throat with its beak until it killed it. When 
I approached, the Shrike grasped the mole and 
flew or, fluttered rather, about twenty feet, 
when its burden seemed too heavy and it 
dropped its prey and alighted a short distance 
away. Again I shot one which was vigorously 
pursuing a Phoebe among some tall bushes. 
We have sufficient evidence of late to show that 
their food in this vicinity is mainly the English 
Sparrows. I have noticed that they are most 
numerous in the section of the town where the 
English Sparrows are in excess. A friend, Mr. 
Claude Maxwell, has found these sparrows 
hung in forked thorns of hedge fences, — evi- 
dently the work of these Shrikes. 
[We have numerous reports of the destruc- 
tion of the English Sparrow by this Shrike, and 
commend the protection of the latter bird, for 
this reason as a method of suppression. Ed]. 
O.&O. X]jl. July 18 67 
Mil- ureau 
them Shrike. 
My theory (slight proof), that how the Shrike 
obtains what few insects and worms they may 
get in winter (not in October, for in this month 
they might get plenty of insect food in freshly 
plowed fields), is this: During the winter 
months farmers are engaged, more or less, 
cutting wood and chopping down useless fruit 
trees. The woods are thinned out so much 
that dying or dead trees are used mostly. In 
cutting arid splitting such timber, the grubs 
and beetles are exposed. 
I agree with Mr. Gaboon that Tern draw up 
their feet when flying. I have noticed it in two 
species of Tern, and more particularly with the 
Herring Gull. During cold snaps they hover 
over the river, oftentimes clearing the bridges 
by less than thirty feet. 
If Mr. Arthur II. Howell will refer to the 
Laws of State of Now York, 188(1, page (569, 
chapter 427, he will gain the desired informa- 
tion regarding a permit. Most respectfully, 
U. D. Stone. 
Oswego, N. X.fa ftP XW. *t(r IW. *.<?/ 
Birds Tioga Oo, N.Y, Aidoa Loring , 
148. Great Northern Shrike or Butcher Bird. 
Common, but only as a winter visitor. Their 
food at this time consists of Sparrows and 
other small birds. I once shot one which had 
„ .. a lin.fl its head nearly 
I have, on 
Northern Shrike kill English sparrows and 
hang them in the forks of small bushes by the 
Oswego river. The Shrike at Phoenix, N. Y. 
is a bird very hard to find in summer, although 
occasionally. seen, but in winter are rather 
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Cahoon’s article, 
f Great Northern 
hich Mr. Gaboon 
“The Shrike at 
iy hard to find in 
lough occasionally seen, but in 
(her common, and I can say from 
hat their food seems to be, prin- 
jsh Sparrows.” 
eir food, in winter , seems to be, 
English Sparrows. By this I do 
t their food, all the year, is Eng- 
common, and I can say from observation that s i but °rily as far as my observa- 
their food seems to be, principally, English ‘'iter, it would certainly be corn- 
sparrows. I have a specimen of the shrike Isehood to say that their food, in 
mounted in the position in which he was when jngrish Sparrows, when I have no 
shot. I had followed him for some distance them and satisfy myself as 
from our farm barn, where 1 had seen him kill her food. I have no record of see- 
a sparrow, and he had difficult work in flying 11 two or three of them in summer 
away with the sparrow. I came up with him he five or six years that I collected 
after a short time and found him sittiug on a 
branch a short distance from a forked limb in ir in Oswego County is severe 
which was the sparrow, hung by the neck. I ' ive il| l the bugs and worms out of 
have always, until this time, seen the shrikes ' doubt the Shrikes were driven to 
hang their prey in a fork and fly away, but this r 1 Sparrows by hunger, but they 
one did not Offer ' ' ' 
to do so. It was very cold 
weather and I thought probably hunger had 
something to do with it. I have seen as many 
as fifteen or twenty sparrows killed in our 
farm barn yard, in course of a winter. 
I think the shrikes should be protected on 
this account, if on no other. As spring ap- 
pi caches, the shrikes take to killing the field 
mice, and again are useful. Taking all together 
they deserve a much different treatment than 
they get. 
I would like to hear the experience of brother 
observers on this subject. 
theless. No doubt in a vicinity 
are bugs and worms in sufficient 
ae Shrikes would choose and eat 
erence to Sparrows. 
Ither collector near Phoenix, N. Y. 
r me out in my assertions, is Mr. 
who, in Vol. 12, pp. 114, writes 
i Shrike while in the act of pursu- 
I (pewee) through bushes, and lie 
of their destroying Sparrows. I 
Hess to give his later observations 
fs of the 0. &. O. 
lept. 188ft , d. 134 -M i ' 
t Northern Shrike. 
December 17, 1S88, I 
gin placed in the crotch 
st from the ground. On 
it might be the work of 
i steel trap on the re- 
rd. I did not visit the 
en I found the robin torn 
ortliern Shrike dangling 
lap. This is conclusive 
was killed and eaten 
te, as parts of the bird 
|ach of the shrike. The 
no snow on the ground, 
id might have been ob- 
19, while passing over a 
tuition was attracted to 
air about 20 feet from 
ted down within a foot 
ain poised itself, then I 
ouse (Armenia riparoun) 
combat the shrike, but 
Lving all the advantage 
led the mouse, and then 
away a short distance 
re mouse, when 1 inter- 
ing the remaining por- 
\ out of my reach. The 
an in previous numbers 
the result of close ob- 
elative to the food of the 
if New York, and I am 
further evidence that is 
y assertions in previous 
lave further proof from 
gentlemen interested in 
onsider that the greater 
g winter in our section 
mals. Ben). F. Ifexs. 
*1890, P*8a 
