butcher birds
E673335
Butcher birds are predatory passerine birds known for impaling their prey on thorns or barbed wire to store and tear it apart.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf | common name ⓘ |
| beakAdaptation | hooked tip for tearing flesh ⓘ |
| beakType | hooked bill ⓘ |
| behavioralTrait |
song-perching on exposed branches
ⓘ
territorial ⓘ |
| clade | passerine birds ⓘ |
| class | Aves NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| culturalPerception | often regarded as gruesome because of impaled prey displays ⓘ |
| diet | carnivorous ⓘ |
| ecologicalRole |
controllers of insect populations
ⓘ
mesopredators in terrestrial ecosystems ⓘ |
| feedingBehavior | predatory ⓘ |
| foragingSite |
fence lines
ⓘ
hedgerows ⓘ isolated bushes ⓘ |
| geographicDistribution |
Africa
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Eurasia NERFINISHED ⓘ North America NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| habitat |
farmland edges
ⓘ
open habitats ⓘ scrublands ⓘ woodland edges ⓘ |
| huntingStrategy | sit-and-wait ambush from exposed perches ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| morphologicalTrait |
relatively large head for body size
ⓘ
strong feet for gripping prey ⓘ |
| nameEtymology | named for habit of hanging prey like a butcher ⓘ |
| notableBehavior |
impaling prey on barbed wire
ⓘ
impaling prey on thorns ⓘ storing prey on sharp objects ⓘ tearing prey apart while impaled ⓘ |
| order | Passeriformes ⓘ |
| phylum | Chordata ⓘ |
| prey |
insects
ⓘ
lizards ⓘ small birds ⓘ small mammals ⓘ small vertebrates ⓘ |
| refersTo |
members of the family Laniidae
ⓘ
shrikes ⓘ |
| relatedConcept | larders of impaled prey ⓘ |
| reproductiveBehavior |
both parents feed chicks
ⓘ
nest in shrubs or trees ⓘ |
| riskFromHumans | habitat loss ⓘ |
| riskFromHumans | persecution as pest species ⓘ |
| sensoryAbility | keen vision ⓘ |
| toolUseLikeBehavior | use of thorns as functional tools for food processing ⓘ |
| vocalization | complex calls and songs ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.