Long-tailed Shrike- the butcher bird with Mask of Zorro

“It is a butcher…do not get deceived by its look,” said my photographer friend.

A beautiful bird with a dark black stripe across its eyes, it resembles Zorro, the hero with the black mask. 

The bird with the mask of Zorro in front of my tele lens is called the Long-tailed Shrike. It is  also known as Rufous-backed Shrike.

This myna or bulbul-sized bird is petite and attractively coloured, with a reddish-brown back, grey neck, white underparts and a black tail with white lining. A closer look, however, would probably diminish the cuteness factor a great deal. For starters the black bandit mask that runs across the shrike’s eyes, giving the little bird a decidedly sinister look.

Also, the bird has a strong hooked beak like raptors, with a vicious downward curve. This beak is clearly not meant for nibbling forest berries on a nippy morning. It is designed for tearing flesh, as the Shrike is a complete carnivore.

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