shrike (any bird of family Laniidae)
General term for shrikes, a family of passerine birds known for impaling prey on thorns.
The shrike is a small bird that catches insects and lizards.
bull-headed shrike (Lanius bucephalus); butcher bird
Specifically the bull-headed shrike, a common species in Japan. 'Butcher bird' is an English nickname for shrikes due to their habit of impaling prey.
A bull-headed shrike had impaled a grasshopper on a tree branch.
Katakana spelling is common for this bird name; usually written in kana.
Rarely used kanji form.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in modern writing.
Abbreviated ateji spelling; very rare.
The origin of the Japanese name モズ is uncertain. The kanji spellings 百舌鳥 and 百舌 are ateji, chosen for their meaning rather than phonetic derivation.