Difference between revisions of "Loggerhead Shrike" - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 22:09, 26 December 2019

Photo by rb stern
Sanibel Island Causeway, Florida, USA, November 2003

Lanius ludovicianus

Identification

Length 9 inches (18-22 cm), weight 43-54 g
Gray head and back, white under parts, broad black face mask extending narrowly across above the bill, black bill. Wings and tail black with white flash at base of primaries; scapulars gray with white tips (white varying in width between different subspecies). Juvenile finely barred.

Similar species

Juvenile
Photo by Stanley Jones
Galveston Island State Park, Texas, USA, June 2015

Northern Shrike differs in being slightly larger and longer-tailed, and with the black mask never extending onto the forehead.

Distribution

Photo © by Stanley Jones
Country Club Lake, Old Travis B. Bryan Municipal Golf Course, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA, December 2019

North America (north to south-central Canada) and Mexico. Populations in south, west, and east USA resident, those in north-central USA and Canada migrate a short way south in winter. Canadian and eastern populations declining; no longer breeding in the northeast US, where now a scarce passage visitor.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Eleven subspecies are recognized^[1]:

L. l. gambeli: Western North America (south-western Canada to south-western US); winters to western Mexico
L. l. excubitorides: Great Plains region of North America; winters to southern Mexico
L. l. migrans: Eastern North America (south-eastern Canada to eastern Texas); winters to north-eastern Mexico
L. l. sonoriensis: Arid south-western US to north-western Mexico (northern Durango and southern Sinaloa)
L. l. anthonyi: Northern Channel Islands (off southern California)
L. l. mearnsi: San Clemente Island (off southern California). ±13 birds in wild 1999
L. l. grinnelli: Southern California (San Diego County) and northern Baja California
L. l. nelsoni: Southern Baja California
L. l. ludovicianus: Coastal south-eastern US (Virginia to Florida)
L. l. miamensis: Southern Florida
L. l. mexicanus: Central Mexico (southern Tamaulipas and Nayarit to Oaxaca)

The subspecies differ mainly in the tone of gray; generally darker in the south of the range and paler in the north, but southern Florida birds also pale.

Habitat

Semi-open areas with scattered shrubs and rough grass; also uses fence lines and utility poles in low-intensity agricultural land.

Behaviour

Breeding

They nest in a dense tree or shrub. The female lays 4 to 8 eggs in a bulky cup built from twigs and grass.

Diet

Diet includes large insects, also rodents and small birds.

References

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Loggerhead Shrike. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 24 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Loggerhead_Shrike

External Links

Search for photos of Loggerhead Shrike in the gallery

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-;Lanius ludovicianus
+[[Image:Loggerhead_Shrike.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|rb+stern|rb stern}} <br /> Sanibel Island Causeway, [[Florida]], [[USA]], November 2003]]
-[[Image:Loggerhead_Shrike.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by rb stern]]
+;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] ludovicianus
 ==Identification==
+Length  9 inches (18-22 cm), weight 43-54 g<br />
+Gray head and back, white under parts,  broad black face mask extending narrowly across above the bill, black bill. Wings and tail black with white flash at base of primaries; scapulars gray with white tips (white varying in width between different subspecies). Juvenile finely barred.
+====Similar species====
+[[Image:Loggerhead Shrike juvenile .jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />Galveston Island State Park, [[Texas]], [[USA]], June 2015]]
+[[Northern Shrike]] differs in being slightly larger and longer-tailed, and with the black mask never extending onto the forehead.
-November 13, 2003 Sanibel Island Causeway, Florida, USA
+==Distribution==
+[[Image:Loggerhead Shrike Bryan1.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />Country Club Lake, Old Travis B. Bryan Municipal Golf Course, Bryan, Brazos County, [[Texas]], [[USA]], December 2019]]
-Length - 9 in.
+[[North America]] (north to south-central [[Canada]]) and [[Mexico]]. Populations in south, west, and east [[USA]] resident, those in north-central USA and Canada migrate a short way south in winter. Canadian and eastern populations declining; no longer breeding in the northeast US, where now a scarce passage visitor.
-Gray head and back with white under parts. Has a black face mask, black bill. Wings and tail black with white markings. The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine bird. These birds have a large hooked bill; the head and back are grey with white underparts. They have black wings and tail, with white patches on the wings and white on the outer tail feather. Unlike the similar but slightly larger Northern Shrike, the black face mask extends over the bill.
+==Taxonomy==
+====Subspecies====
+Eleven subspecies are recognized<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
+*''L. l. gambeli'': Western [[North America]] (south-western [[Canada]] to south-western [[US]]); winters to western [[Mexico]]
+*''L. l. excubitorides'': Great Plains region of North America; winters to southern Mexico
+*''L. l. migrans'': Eastern North America (south-eastern Canada to eastern [[Texas]]); winters to north-eastern Mexico
+*''L. l. sonoriensis'': Arid south-western US to north-western Mexico (northern Durango and southern Sinaloa)
+*''L. l. anthonyi'': 	Northern Channel Islands (off southern [[California]])
+*''L. l. mearnsi'': San Clemente Island (off southern California). ±13 birds in wild 1999
+*''L. l. grinnelli'': Southern California (San Diego County) and northern [[Baja California]]
+*''L. l. nelsoni'': Southern Baja California
+*''L. l. ludovicianus'': Coastal south-eastern US ([[Virginia]] to [[Florida]])
+*''L. l. miamensis'': Southern Florida
+*''L. l. mexicanus'': Central Mexico (southern Tamaulipas and Nayarit to Oaxaca)
+The subspecies differ mainly in the tone of gray; generally darker in the south of the range and paler in the north, but southern [[Florida]] birds also pale.
-==Distribution==
-It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America from southern Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, south to Mexico.
-==Taxonomy==
 ==Habitat==
-semi-open areas
+Semi-open areas with scattered shrubs and rough grass; also uses fence lines and utility poles in low-intensity agricultural land.
 ==Behaviour==
+====Breeding====
 They nest in a dense tree or shrub. The female lays 4 to 8 eggs in a bulky cup built from twigs and grass.
+====Diet====
-They are permanent residents in the southern part of their range; northern birds migrate further south.
+Diet includes large insects, also rodents and small birds.
+==References==
-These birds wait on a perch with open lines of sight and swoop down to capture prey. They mainly eat large insects, also rodents and small birds. Known in many parts as a "Butcher Bird," they impale their prey on thorns or barbed wire before eating it, since they do not have the talons of the larger birds of prey.
+#{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}
+{{ref}}
-Another distinguishing feature of this bird, besides its coloration, is its flight, and wing beats. It is very non-aerodynamic looking, and is reminiscent of how an ungainly helicopter would try to move forward. It is presumed this feature gives the bird high range of motions, and flight maneuverability, for changing directions.
-The population of this species has declined in the northeastern parts of their range, possibly due to loss of suitable habitat and pesticide use.
-"Loggerhead" refers to the relatively large head as compared to the rest of the body
 ==External Links==
 {{GSearch|Lanius+ludovicianus}}
-[[Category:Birds]]
+[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Lanius]]