Lots of things are metal. Blood raining from the sky. Drinking ungodly amounts of whiskey, then switching to ungodly amounts of vodka because your health is failing. Being a bird that bashes your victims' heads in, then impales them on thorns before tearing them to shreds.

Such is the life of an innocent-enough-looking bird called the shrike. It ain't big and muscular like an eagle, so impaling is the only way it can get by. So. Effing. Metal.

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And I’m happy to hear from you with suggestions on what to cover next. If it’s weird and we can find footage of it, it’s fair game. You can get me at matthew_simon@wired.com or on Twitter at @mrMattSimon. And check out the Absurd Creature of the Week column right here.