Definition 1: A songbird that’s actually called a Shrike; found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere that’s a horrific little murder-fuck that impales prey on sharp objects such as thorns, and occasionally on barbed wire which looks totally kick ass. Shrikes are called butcherbirds by either British people or literal troglodytes.
Definition 2: A songbird of the Southern Hemisphere (Australia and places around that general area) that’s like a Shrike but has a longer, slimmer beak and is incredibly vocal. Though not closely related to Shrikes and their only biological relationship is basically just that the both of them are passerines, they also impale prey on sharp objects but to a lesser extent, preferring to just wedge their mutilated prey in the fork of a tree branch, often to the absolute horror of the innocent people that the butcherbird decided to set up camp in’s backyard.
Definition 2: A songbird of the Southern Hemisphere (Australia and places around that general area) that’s like a Shrike but has a longer, slimmer beak and is incredibly vocal. Though not closely related to Shrikes and their only biological relationship is basically just that the both of them are passerines, they also impale prey on sharp objects but to a lesser extent, preferring to just wedge their mutilated prey in the fork of a tree branch, often to the absolute horror of the innocent people that the butcherbird decided to set up camp in’s backyard.
Example 1: “Ahh, what a lovely day on the English countryside... Wait, is that butcherbird impaling that poor dormouse on that blackthorn? Fuckin baller”
Example 2: “Well it’s a bad day to be a Willie Wagtail, the butcherbird’s snagged ‘im!
Example 2: “Well it’s a bad day to be a Willie Wagtail, the butcherbird’s snagged ‘im!
by Starsparce May 17, 2021