some shrikes are also known as butcherbirds because of the habit, particularly of males, of impaling prey onto plant spines within their territories. These larders have multiple functions, attracting females and serving as food stores.
I thought it was even better than the first series. There's so many neat and unique concepts going on in that book. From the ultra-fast ship that decimates its passengers and then rebuilds them, to the concepts related to the philosophy of Pierre Tielhard DeChardin, it's a wonderfully thought provoking series all around. The AI and their machinations in that series is the best AI storyline I've ever read.
Oh damn! I thought they only did it with bugs. How TF did that tiny little bird capture and kill a rodent as big as it is? The bird doesn't even have any talons!