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I recently photographed a Loggerhead Shrike as it perched atop a long-dead mesquite. I think of these birds as being like coiled springs, ready to explode into action instantly.
Shrike are not raptors like hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons, but they are predators and their hunting style mimics that of many raptor species. They are perch and pounce hunters. A shrike finds a relatively high perch and then scans the surrounding area for likely prey, smaller creatures that include anything from large insects to lizards and small rodents. When a shrike sees a target of opportunity, it’s off from its perch in a flash, pouncing on its prey. Shrikes lack talons but they have powerful beaks.
I’m a big fan of these feisty little hunters.
Image made with a Canon R5, Canon EF 400mm f4 DO II lens+Canon EF 1.4x telextender, M setting (auto ISO), ISO 400, f5.6 @ 1/4000.
Sonoran Images 