But I’ve never been able to get a really good look at both the hook and tomial teeth in my shrike\u00a0images, until two days ago on Antelope Island.<\/p>\n
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This Loggerhead Shrike let me get close enough and the light on the bill was just right to show the best bill detail I’ve been able to get.\u00a0 As you can see, the bill is sharply hooked and the tomial “tooth” on the upper mandible is clearly visible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n An extreme crop of the same image\u00a0shows them both even better.<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0 The next (and last) image of this post\u00a0is a little gruesome so if you’d like to avoid it, scroll no further).<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another name for shrikes is “butcher bird” and this image demonstrates why (I’ve posted this shot once before).\u00a0 This is a vole that has been wedged (works just as well as\u00a0impaling)\u00a0in the notch of a tree by a Loggerhead Shrike\u00a0at the Antelope Island campground.\u00a0 Doing so serves two purposes for the bird – food storage and it provides an anchor for the shrike to pull against when it wants a meal.<\/p>\n Interestingly, they sometimes adorn the carcass with feathers in an apparent effort to attract a mate.<\/p>\n If you’d like to see\u00a0this impaling\/feeding technique in action\u00a0I highly recommend that you watch this video clip<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0from National Geographic.\u00a0 Even National Geographic has succumbed to the sensationalist narration style I find so annoying on the History Channel and elsewhere but the clip itself is excellent for the behavior.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve never been able to get a really good look at both the hook and tomial teeth on the bill of a Loggerhead Shrike in any of my images. Until two days ago on Antelope Island…<\/p>\n![\"loggerhead](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/loggerhead-shrike-6369-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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