Prey may be impaled upon a sharp point, such as a thorn. Thus secured they can be ripped with the strong hooked bill, but its feet are not suited for tearing. It is smallish shrike at 17 cm, maroon-brown above with a pale rump and long black tail with white edges.Shrikes are great posers as they perch right at the end of the twig but are very skittish as mostly they will fly away even when approached carefully.