Home of the loggerhead shrike, with plenty of convenient hooks for this butcher bird to hang meat on.

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CHAPTER VI
BIRDS NOT OF A FEATHER

Two Butcher-birds
Cedar Waxwing
Scarlet Tanager

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THE BUTCHER-BIRDS OR SHRIKES

Is it not curious that among our so-called song birds there should be two, about the size of robins, the loggerhead and the northern shrike, with the hawk-like habit of killing little birds and mice, and the squirrel's and blue jay's trick of storing what they cannot eat? They are butchers, with the thrifty custom of hanging up their meat, which only improves in flavour and tenderness after a day or two of curing. Then, even if storms should drive their little prey to shelter and snow should cover the fields, they need not worry nor starve seeing an abundance in their larder provided for the proverbial rainy day.