Butcherbirds & Shrikes

[Tom Tarrant <>]

Hi All,

I'm not sure if anyone can help but I've just received a request from
Dr Reuven Yosef of the International Bird Research Centre Eilat who is
studying shrikes and is interested in the similarities in behaviour of
the Butcherbirds (Cracticus sp) If anyone can help him please reply
directly to him at m("eilatcity.co.il","ryosef"); ">  
His message follows:

Dear Tom & Marie Tarrant,

Congratulations on a great website.  Every little bit helps.

I am a researcher with a special interest in shrikes (Laniidae spp.) and have been active globally in their conservation for more than a decade. In 1993 I created the International Shrike Working Group that is active to date and comprises of more than 300 researchers and students.  Personally I have published more than 70 scientific papers on the family ranging from Israel, USA, Hungary to South Africa.

I am especially interested in their (almost) unique impaling behaviour. To my knowledge the Butcherbirds have developed similar prey handling strategies.  I was unable to come up with much information on the subject.  I'd greatly appreciate your help in accessing any information that may be available on the subject, and pictures of this specific behavior.

I have attached a paper published in 1996 on how the shrikes have taken advantage of the behavior to exploit previously inaccesible prey.  I hope you will find it of interest.

My dream is to some day visit, and maybe even conduct a study of the Butcherbirds, Australia.  Hopefully sometime soon.

Best wishes form sunny Eilat,

Reuven

www.rolexawards.com/laureates/laureate2.jsp?id=0065

www.discover.com/sept_00/featsave.html

Tom Tarrant

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Tom & Marie Tarrant
Samsonvale, Queensland 4520
Australia

Email: m("hotkey.net.au","aviceda");">
URL: http://www.aviceda.org/
     http://www.hotkey.net.au/~aviceda   
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