Bull-headed Shrike: the "Tiger of Finches"

    2022-04-24 03:13:22 by Sichuan International Communication Center

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    The bull-headed shrike (Lanius bucephalus) is a kind of small but fierce bird. It has the same beak as a raptor and a chestnut red head that looks a bit like a bull’s head. The male bull-headed shrikes have a black stripe around their eyes, like Zorro's masked face.

    If they catch something that they can't swallow at once, they will hang it from branches, spikes, or wire, and then tear and nibble it. This hunting skill has made it the king of finches, even earning it the nickname the "tiger of finches".

    Why do they hang their prey up? The skill is a clever way. First, it is easy to eat large prey when fixed. Secondly, some animals are poisonous, and the toxins in their bodies degrade naturally within two or three days after death.