This Bird Impales Its Prey On Spikes
By: EjazUlHaqBhat
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The shrike impales its prey on spikes, thorns, branches, and other sharp objects
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Shrikes are also known as "butcherbirds". They are medium-sized birds with hooked beaks and strident calls
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They use the impaled prey as a cache, returning to eat the uneaten portions later
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Male shrikes impale their prey to show their fitness and the quality of their territory to potential mates
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They eat small vertebrates, insects, and small reptiles. Female shrikes impale prey to help dismember it
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Shrikes may impale toxic prey, such as the lubber grasshopper, to wait for the toxins to break down before eating it
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They are sit-and-wait predators that perch in high grasses, bushes, or trees
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Shrikes are known to pounce quickly on their prey, or even catch it in mid-air
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