The California Shrike as a Reptile Destroyer
Journal
Condor
Volume
13
Issue
2 (March-April)
Year
1911
Pages
75
Section
From Field and Study
Online Text
The California Shrike as a Reptile Destroyer.
On May 12, 1910, I was waiting at the isolated station of Bixby, Los Angeles County, when a California Shrike was seen to hover for an instant over an object in the grass across the road, and strike with a vigorous downward thrust, almost immediately returning to its position above, to repeat. As I advanced to find the object of its attention, the bird struck again and arose with a snake in its talons and started off down the road. I shouted and the bird dropped its trailing burden and flew to a nearby telegraph pole. I examined the reptile a moment later and found it to be a specimen of California garter snake, 18½ inches in length, with the neck severed directly behind the skull.
