Kip’s Comments - January 10, 2023

Long Distance, Thought Provoking Conversation

Tonight my uncle in North Carolina and I were having a conversation based on an article in a magazine we both read - “Wildlife in North Carolina.” This article featured the loggerhead shrike - a bird we do not have here in Northeast Iowa. As I read the article, the characteristics described of the loggerhead shrike matched almost exactly the northern shrike that is seen in our area - except our shrike is a little larger.

Both species of shrikes feed on small birds and rodents. It is not uncommon for shrikes to skewer their prey on thorns or even barbed-wire fences.

Our conversation then went to the idea of one bird killing another for a life-sustaining meal. As gruesome as it sounds, that is the way of the wild world. Such activities have occurred from probably Day One and yet the populations - for the most part - continue to thrive.

Those comments then reminded me of the hawk that killed a male cardinal in our yard. I mentioned that to my uncle as I was thinking of the fine feathers that told the lethal story. I was able to find a few of them and feature what is left of the cardinal here. All that remains of the cardinal are a few feathers. But, a hawk is still alive thanks to the cardinal’s sacrifice.

As I mentioned when I first found the cardinal remains, I would much prefer the hawks dined on sparrows and left cardinals alone.

Northern Cardinal Feathers - Image 788061