Predatory Songbird

This little guy is actually a predator.....called a Loggerhead Shrike.
This is the first time I've been able to get close enough to one for a decent shot.

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And an excellent shot of him too. We have them here, but they are way too shy for any lens I have.

Cute 'predator' pic. Very simple but effective composition.

Very nice capture and thanks for sharing the knowledge Mike, I really didn't know that this cutie is a raptor.

Very nice capture. love the boken

Very nice shot of a cute little butcher bird! I have not seen a Loggerhead only Northern Shrikes, thanks for sharing.

I never noticed their sharp bill before. Good work!

These aren't actually raptors, Reyno, but they are predatory.

As Downywp mentions, they're called "butcher birds" because of their habit of impaling prey items on thorny branches.

They do this partly for storage (they can build up quite a collection!), and partly to make it easier to dismember the prey - they aren't particularly powerful birds and the thorn holds the item so the bird uses less of its energy to tear it up.

Also, as it gets more gamey, it gets easier to deal with!