Down the Decades: the 1910s
FEATURE: THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE by E.A. Morris (Ilford)
NOT so elegantly attired as his near relations the red-backed or woodchat shrikes, the great grey is by no means a sombre-looking bird. Unlike our spring visitors, this winter migrant cannot claim to possess great vocal abilities, as he has practically no song whatever. Nevertheless he is a great favourite with many British bird exhibitors.
He requires more than the usual attention generally bestowed upon most of our other softbills. Besides being given the usual insectivorous food, consisting of ants’ eggs, dried flies, crushed biscuit, meat, meal, etc, he should be supplied with a dead bird about every other day. One I had would kill every time he had the opportunity. This particular bird was kept in my bird room, in which I bred Yorkshire Canaries. Arriving home one day I was surprised