photo by Greg Hofmann

9/6/2004: No, it's not a Mockingbird getting ready to pull a heist – the face mask on this bird is one indication that it's a Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus). "Lanius" means "butcher," and the common name "butcher bird" arose because of the species' practice of impaling insect prey on thorns (and later, on barbed wire). This one has been frequenting the fields near the Visitor Center for more than a week. (Click here for another look at this bird. Unfortunately, glimpses of this species are becoming rarer – the population has declined by 77% since 1966.)