Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius carolinensis) with Smilax rotundifolia
1829
About this artwork
This hand-colored engraving depicts two Loggerhead Shrikes perched on a branch of Smilax rotundifolia, one holding a captured mouse. It is Plate 57 from John James Audubon's monumental work "The Birds of America".
Did you know?
John James Audubon's "The Birds of America" is a landmark achievement in natural history art, renowned for its life-sized depictions of birds. Loggerhead Shrikes, often called "butcher birds," are fascinating for their unique hunting behavior, impaling their prey on thorns or barbed wire, a practice cleverly suggested here by the bird's capture of a mouse.
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Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius carolinensis) with Smilax rotundifolia
John James Audubon, 1829
