Butcher Bird!

The Fiscal Shrike is often referred to as the "Butcher Bird" due to its habit of impaling prey items, usually insects, on thorns. It was interesting to come across a Fiscal Shrike that has obviously developed a taste for reptiles. I counted several reptiles impaled on this thorn tree in Swellendam, Western Cape. The reptiles appeared to be predominately Cape legless lizards. The pics graphically illustrate where the name butcher bird comes from:



Here is the culprit: