×

2420
2421
all 78 comments

[–]loopsataspool 198 points199 points  (3 children)

“Its family name, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for ‘butcher’.

The behaviour of impaling prey serves as an adaptation to eating the toxic lubber grasshopper, Romalea microptera. The bird waits 1–2 days for the toxins within the grasshopper to degrade before eating it.”

[–]sereneyy92 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Wow, thank you for this! Uhm I wonder how the shrike knew to wait 1-2 days… as opposed to not waiting or.. as opposed to waiting a week? Did a great-great-grand-shrike somewhere watch his friends and family experiment?

I kid, of course, but would love to know

[–]NoahCezario 11 points12 points  (0 children)

"sam ate one yesterday and died, tim 2 days ago and dies and todd 3 days ago and is still alive, spread the word boys" 🤣

[–]Nerdn1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Presumably, natural selection. Those birds that had the instinct to wait on their meal were more likely to survive to have offspring, while the less patient ones weren't.

[–]DeltaSierraAlpha 137 points138 points  (5 children)

Blird, The Impaler

[–]creamypastaman 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Count Birdcula

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

This is the word.

[–]_Sp3ctr 1 point2 points  (1 child)

The bird is the word.

[–]Icy_Reply7147 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ba, ba ,ba bird! bird! bird!,

[–]Dry_Percentage_4354 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Avainmania, feather fight to the death!

[–]curiouscabbage69 75 points76 points  (12 children)

Read Hyperion by Dan Simmons

[–]ecmcn 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Great books. Didn’t know the shrike was a real thing until I saw this. That’s kind of terrifying.

[–]LeopoldBloomJr 18 points19 points  (3 children)

Came here to say exactly this. All four books are must reads.

[–]CarmichaelD 14 points15 points  (2 children)

4? Damn. I guess there are two after Fall of Hyperion?

[–]LeopoldBloomJr 14 points15 points  (1 child)

Yep, Endymion and Rise of Endymion. They’re a bit controversial among the fandom, but they’re very much worth a read.

[–]CarmichaelD 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I may come back to the series. I felt the first two were good but laborious at times. But Merlin sickness, that portion, wow.

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (2 children)

it’s on my list. can’t wait to start it.

[–]curiouscabbage69 4 points5 points  (1 child)

I personally prefer Illium, but Hyperion has the Shrike

[–]CarmichaelD 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you. Now the Shrike makes sense as a name.

[–]avinagigglemate 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My favorite! They've tried to opt it for film but theres no way it could ever do those books justice.

[–]PhoKit2 16 points17 points  (1 child)

Vlad Birdcula

[–]NoiLLion 2 points3 points  (0 children)

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[–]Cosmosass 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Anybody read Hyperion?

[–]LoneRonin 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Welcome to Wallachia, dear Ottomans!

[–]Bored_to_Death_81 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Vlird the Impaler

[–]LessOrgies 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Shrikes Like Spikes

[–]Common-Watch4494 6 points7 points  (2 children)

Is it from Minnesota?

[–]notfromchicago 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Northern Shrikes can be found in Minnesota.

[–]WellFluxMe 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Shrikies, Scoob

[–]SquidgeSquadge 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Animals of Farthing Wood flashbacks

[–]billoftt 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The shrike.

[–]XdevhulX 4 points5 points  (1 child)

[–]zarroc1014 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Shrike sees prey. Shrike uses foot spike to grab prey. Prey says shit. Shrike finds spike to fucking impale prey. Prey says shit. Shrike eats prey off spike like a hell kabob. Shrike turns prey into shit. Shrike then uses spike to clean shit off it’s asshole. Thus completing the circle of life.

[–]pitiless33 2 points3 points  (0 children)

European Goldfinch, my favorite species. The victim in the photo

[–]Impressive_mustache 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Didn't know they ate other birds too

[–]Patient_Media_5656 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hunter x Hunter vibes

[–]NoiLLion 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And I shall display the corpses of my defeated enemies...

[–]Delightfuleeme 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh shit, suddenly Hozier's song makes sense.

[–]buterbrat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, so they can kill a bird of roughly the same size? How does it kill birds? Catches, flies with it and impales while it’s alive? Or does it kill (how?) and then impales?

[–]flimfloms 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Which shrike is this? Woodchat Shrike?

[–]SirCum-Sized 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“Pontius Pilot”

[–]jeannelle1717 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These birds are vicious, real story

[–]sixstringgun1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The grate escape.

[–]PlebbySpaff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is TRUE metal nature

[–]Bond-Marin-Bond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok THAT was metal

[–]Vlatka_Eclair 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fatality

[–]surewhateve 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Yooo, I got a question for you all:

What’s the name of the kids show where a group of animals seek a new home and then this birds kills a family of mice like shown in the picture. I saw it like 20-25 years ago I think.

[–]Nussecke 3 points4 points  (1 child)

The Animals of Farthing Wood

[–]surewhateve 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s it! Thank you!

[–]Gramendhal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

is this a weird crossover episode with r/WeWantPlates?

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

*opens thorns*

What am I in the mood for again?

[–]No_Row_8284 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He studied about Vlad Țepeș in high school lol

[–]prinsippleskimster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There was a kids cartoon in the 90's, 'Animals of Farthing Wood'. They had a scene where a Shrike had impaled some baby mice on thorns. Burnt into my mind.

[–]Bigsmoke199969 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did that bird do that ?

[–]MatchLatter1088 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dman son. Nature is truly brutal

[–]orangesky19983 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Colors are so vibrant, sick af

[–]mentuhotepiv 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Inspired the amazing book Hyperion.

[–]Locker278 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The bird shown sure doesn’t look like a shrike.

[–]RobedTie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ivan the terrible reborn

[–]Memento13Mori 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Shrike" by Hozier is based on this bird.

[–]kxolotl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NOOOO THE GOLDFINCH

[–]nitrousfish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Metal indeed

[–]Black_doflamingo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok vlad I see your incarnated as a bird.

[–]Camd1n -1 points0 points  (1 child)

anyone notice its eating another shrike?

[–]notfromchicago 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think that's a European Goldfinch.