1.  any species of shrike of the genus Lanius, so called because they impale their prey on thorns. [1913 Webster]

2.  large carnivorous Australian bird with the shrikelike habit of impaling prey on thorns. [WordNet 1.5]
" The Lanius excubitor is the common butcher bird of Europe. In England, the bearded tit is sometimes called the lesser butcher bird. The American species are Lanius borealis, or northern butcher bird, and Lanius Ludovicianus or loggerhead shrike. The name butcher bird is derived from its habit of suspending its prey impaled upon thorns, after killing it." [1913 Webster]

adjutant bird, anseriform bird, ant bird, apodiform bird, aquatic bird, baby bird, baltimore bird, bird, bird cage, bird cherry, bird cherry tree, bird dog, bird family, bird fancier, bird feed, bird feeder, bird food, bird genus, bird louse, bird nest, bird of jove, bird of juno, bird of minerva, bird of night, bird of paradise, bird of passage, bird of prey, bird parker, bird pepper, bird sanctuary, bird shot, bird vetch, bird watcher, boatswain bird, bower bird, butcher, butcher block, butcher board, butcher cumberland, butcher knife, butcher paper, butcher shop, canary bird, caprimulgiform bird, carinate bird, cedar bird, chipping bird, coastal diving bird, cockyoly, bird, columbiform bird, common bird cherry, coraciiform bird, corvine bird, crocodile bird, cuculiform bird, early bird, elephant bird, european bird cherry, flightless bird, flying bird, frigate bird, gallinaceous bird, gallows bird, game bird, gooney bird, huia bird, humming bird, indigo bird, jail bird, limicoline bird, lyre bird, mallee bird, man-of-war bird, mino bird, mocking bird, mound bird, myna bird, mynah bird, myrtle bird, night bird, nonpasserine bird, oceanic bird, oscine bird, passeriform bird, peabody bird, pelagic bird, perching bird, phoebe bird, piciform bird, policeman bird, pork butcher, queer bird, quetzal bird, raptorial bird, rare bird, ratite bird, rifleman bird, satin bird, scrub bird, sea bird, secretary bird, sedge bird, shore bird, tropic bird, tyrant bird, umbrella bird, wading bird, water bird, wheatsel bird, whidah bird, whydah bird, widow bird, yard bird, young bird