This is Birdnode.

In the blink of an eye, a bird of prey plummets to the ground, pinning an unwary mouse.

A moment later, it flies off, clasping its prey in its feet.

A familiar drama we expect of a hawk or falcon, or after dark an owl, but this bird of

prey is a songbird, a bit smaller even than a robin.

It's a loggerhead shrike.

Silver Gray with black wings and a vivid black mask across the eyes.

Shrikes look like bandits.

This impressions reinforced by the shrikes' large head and hooked bill.

Male shrikes are well known for impaling their prey on thorns, creating a larder that

may help impress potential mates with their hunting prowess.

Loggerhead shrikes are found across much of the United States in open country, like pasture

and sagebrush.

But pesticides, and the loss of habitat to residential and commercial uses, have reduced

trike populations.

Conservation efforts are underway, such as allowing brush to grow along fence lines and leaving

small trees and shrubs on the roadside.

Losing or eliminating the use of pesticides can also help sustain this tough customer

among the songbirds.

To learn more, come to our website, birdno.org.