The TRUE TYRANT SHRIKE, KING BIRD, or TYRANT FLY-CATCHER (_Tyrannus
intrepidus_), as the most noted member of this family is called, is about
eight inches long and fourteen broad. The soft and brilliant plumage of
this species is prolonged into a crest at the top of the head. The entire
back is of a deep blueish grey, darkest upon the head, the feathers that
form the crest being edged with bright red and yellow; the under side
is greyish white, tinted with a deeper shade on the breast. The throat
and neck are pure white, the quills and tail brownish black, the latter
tipped with white, as are the wing-covers. The eye is dark brown, the
beak black, the feet greyish blue. In the plumage of the female all these
colours are much more dusky and indistinct than in that of her mate.
According to Audubon, the Tyrant Shrike is one of the most attractive
birds that visit the United States during the summer months. It appears
in Louisiana about the middle of March, and occasionally remains until
the middle of September, but the flocks for the most part proceed north
before that season, and spread themselves over every part of the country,
filling the air with their quivering shrill cry, as they explore the
orchards, fields, or gardens, and fearlessly approach the dwelling-houses
of mankind. As the breeding season draws near, they may be seen flying
merrily about at some distance from the ground, in search of a convenient
spot for building, the male constantly uttering his shrill note, and
keeping quite close to his mate. The nest is formed of bits of cotton,
wool, tow, or similar materials, and is usually of considerable size; the
interior is neatly and thickly lined with fibres and horsehair; the four
or six eggs have a reddish white shell, irregularly marked with brown
streaks. No sooner is the brood laid than the male bird begins to exhibit
the utmost courage and devotion in tending and protecting his partner.
The entire day is occupied in feeding and entertaining her, as he perches
close beside her on a twig, displaying his glowing crest and white
breast in all its beauty to her admiring eyes. Should an enemy or rival
approach, he darts furiously down and chases the intruder to a distance,
sometimes as far as a mile from the nest, and then returns rapidly to
his little family. So bold and fearless is the Tyrant Shrike upon these
occasions, that even Falcons scarcely venture to approach its nest; and
the cats of the neighbourhood, well knowing the reception they would meet
with, carefully avoid trespassing within the domains of the intrepid
father.
"At this period," says Wilson, "the extreme affection of the Tyrant
Shrike for his mate and young makes him suspicious of every bird that
happens to pass near his residence, so that he attacks every intruder
without discrimination. In the months of May, June, and part of July his
life is one continued scene of broils and battles, in which, however, he
generally comes off conqueror. Hawks, Crows, and Eagles all equally dread
an encounter with this dauntless little champion, who, as soon as he
sees one of the last approaching, launches into the air to meet him, and
darts down on to his back, sometimes fixing there, to the great annoyance
of the king of birds, who, if no convenient retreat be near, endeavours
by various evolutions to rid himself of his merciless adversary. But
the Tyrant Fly-catcher is not so easily dismounted; he teases the Eagle
incessantly, charges upon him right and left, and remounts into the air,
that he may descend on his enemy's back with greater force, all the while
keeping up a shrill and rapid twittering, and continuing the attack
sometimes for more than a mile, until he is relieved by some other of his
tribe equally eager for the contest."
The Purple Swallow alone seems capable of contesting the field with this
courageous opponent, and resisting its attacks. Wilson mentions having
seen the Tyrant Shrike also greatly irritated by his vain efforts to get
rid of the Red-headed Woodpecker, the latter dodging him round a rail,
and appearing highly amused at the impotent rage of his assailant.
About August the voices of these birds are far more rarely heard, and
they employ their time in picking the worms and insects from the furrows
in the fields, or in gliding over the water in pursuit of flies. Like the
Swallow, they drink and bathe whilst on the wing, invariably perching
upon a neighbouring tree, the better to dry their plumage. The Tyrant
Shrikes quit the United States before any other of the feathered summer
visitors, and prosecute their migrations by night as well as by day,
flying alternately with rapidly repeated strokes of the pinions, and a
smooth, gliding motion, that is apparently produced without the slightest
effort. The flesh of this species is delicate, and much esteemed in
Louisiana. A Tyrant Shrike kept for many months by Nuttall always
swallowed berries whole; grasshoppers, if too large to be so disposed
of, were pounded and broken on the floor of his cage, as the bird held
them in his beak. To manage the larger beetles was not so easy; these
he struck repeatedly against the ground, and then turned from side to
side, by throwing them dexterously into the air, after the manner of
the Toucan; the insect being uniformly caught reversed as it descended,
with the agility of a practised cup and ball player. After the beetle
was swallowed, he remained perfectly still for some time, in order to
digest his meal, tasting it distinctly some time after it entered the
stomach, as was obvious from the ruminating motion of his mandible. When
the soluble portion had been extracted, large pellets of the indigestible
legs, wings, and shells were brought up again in half an hour's time, and
ejected from the mouth after the manner of Hawks and Owls. This bird,
we are further told, had the sagacity to retire under the shelter of a
depending bed-quilt in the apartment about which he was allowed to run at
large, if the weather was unusually cold.