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Northern Shrike

Lanius excubitor ORDER: PASSERIFORMES FAMILY: LANIIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

A predatory songbird, the Northern Shrike breeds in taiga and tundra and winters in southern Canada and the northern United States. It feeds on small birds, mammals, and insects, sometimes impaling them on spines or barbed wire fences.

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Calls

Song is a complex and variable sequence of harsh notes, chatter, trills, and whistles. Calls include a rapid rasping "aak-aak" and a sharp metallic "beek."

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Search the Macaulay Library online archive for more sounds and videos