Spot the Differences
The Loggerhead Shrike and Northern Shrike can both be found across North America, so how do you tell them apart? Well, there are three important differences between these two species: 1. The Northern Shrike is bigger than the Loggerhead (one to two inches longer); 2. The Loggerhead Shrike has a shorter beak; and 3. The Loggerhead's black mask extends across its forehead and above the beak, while the Northern Shrike's mask doesn't. Did you know that both the Northern as well as the Loggerhead Shrike impale their prey on thorns to hold them down while it rips them apart with its hooked bill? Pretty gross, eh? It does this with larger prey, such as lizards, mice, shrews and even birds, because it lacks the talons that birds of prey have. So if you see a lizard stuck on a thorn it's probably the handywork of your friendly neighborhood shrike.
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