A Jaguar stocks

stalks its prey.

A rattlesnake strikes.

A grasly goes in for the kill.

Nature, as it was in for the kill.

Nature, as it was once written, is red in tooth and a claw.

And adorable fluffy feathers.

This is Outside In, a show about the natural world and how we use it.

This is Outside In, a show about the natural world and how we use it.

I'm Sam Evans Brown. Today a

mini episode about the world's cutest predator. Apart from just being a bird with a pretty badass name, what are Shreik's?

They're about the size of a mockingbird, long tail, large bill, white below, gray and black and white above. Very striking looking, actually.

This is Eric Masterson who describes himself as an all-around bird guy. You'll probably hear from him again on this show. He's describing

the Northern Shrike, which is a songbird, but not a super melodious one.

Shriks are predatory songbirds. They kill and eat insects, which is not a shocker,

but also frogs, rodents, other birds, even snakes and lizards.

They bite their prey in the neck, severing the spinal cord.

So have you ever seen one hunt?

Yeah, I actually was sitting in my office in Audubon.

I used to work for New Hampshire Audubon.

I was sitting in my office and I heard a ruckus coming from outside the window and I looked out

and a Blue Jay was being attacked by a shrike.

...