northern butcher bird

1 definition found

northern butcher bird - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  butcher bird \butcher bird\, butcher-bird \butcher-bird\,
  butcherbird \butcherbird\n.
     1. (Zool.) any species of shrike of the genus Lanius, so
        called because they impale their prey on thorns.
        [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
  
     2. (Zool.) large carnivorous Australian bird with the
        shrikelike habit of impaling prey on thorns.
        [WordNet 1.5]
  
     Note: The Lanius excubitor is the common butcher bird of
           Europe. In England, the bearded tit is sometimes called
           the lesser butcher bird. The American species are
           Lanius borealis, or northern butcher bird, and
           Lanius Ludovicianus or loggerhead shrike. The name
           butcher bird is derived from its habit of suspending
           its prey impaled upon thorns, after killing it.
           [1913 Webster]