shrike (redirected from Shrikes)

shrike  (shrk)

n.

Any of various carnivorous oscine birds of the family Laniidae, having a screeching call and a strong hooked bill with a toothlike projection and often impaling its prey on sharp-pointed thorns or barbs of wire fencing.

---

[Probably from Middle English *shrik, from Old English scrc, thrush.]

---

shrike

Noun

a bird with a heavy hooked bill, which kills small animals by dashing them on thorns [Old English scrīc thrush]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

shrike - any of numerous Old World birds having a strong hooked bill that feed on smaller animals oscine, oscine bird - passerine bird having specialized vocal apparatus family Laniidae, Laniidae - shrikes butcherbird - shrikes that impale their prey on thorns Lanius lucovicianus, loggerhead shrike - a common shrike of southeastern United States having black bands around the eyes Lanius ludovicianus migrans, migrant shrike - a shrike of central North America; winters in Texas and the southern Mississippi valley bush shrike - an African shrike