Northern Shrike (immature)

This immature Northern Shrike, a winter visitor in Oregon, was terrorizing smaller birds this morning along the edge of a grove of Cottonwood trees near the Willamette River. A female American Kestrel was not pleased at having her hunting territory invaded, and tried ineffectively to chase it away. The shrike protested loudly at the harrassment, and did not seem intimidated. The bulge just below the bird's throat perhaps indicates that its hunting had been successful.