Species: Lanius excubitor

Northern Shrike

Species

Birds

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Terrestrial vertebrates: birds

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Aves

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Laniidae

Genus

Lanius

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101551

Classification

Other Global Common Names

pie-grièche grise

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Perching Birds

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Passeriformes - Laniidae - Lanius - Composed of three groups: EXCUBITOR, MERIDIONALIS (Southern Gray Shrike), and LEUCOPYGOS (Saharan Shrike) (AOU 1998). Constitutes a superspecies with L. LUDOVICIANUS and L. SPHENOCERCUS (AOU 1998).

Ecology and Life History

Migration

true - true - true - Mostly a long-distance migrant; breeding and winter ranges overlap in southern Alaska and northwestern Canada.

Non-migrant

true

Locally Migrant

true

Food Comments

Feeds on mice, voles, small birds, snakes, lizards, and frogs; also eats a wide variety of insects. In Idaho in winter, small mammals were the most important prey; also ate many arthropods and some birds (Atkinson and Cade 1993). Usually sits on an exposed perch and watches for prey.

Reproduction Comments

Breeding begins mid-late May (Harrison 1978). Clutch size is 2-9 (usually 4-6). Incubation is done mainly by female (Terres 1980). Young are tended by both adults, leave nest 20 days after hatching, independent in 10 more days. Single brooded (E. Atkinson, pers. comm.).

Ecology Comments

On breeding grounds, foraging home range estimated to be 130 hectares (Cade 1967). In Idaho, winter territory size was 55-357 hectares (mean 216 hectares), with a main core area (over one-half of activity) averaging 50 hectares (Atkinson 1993).

Length

Weight

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

1996-12-03

Global Status Last Changed

1996-12-03

Other Status

LC - Least concern

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

BREEDS: North America from Alaska across northern Canada to Labrador; also Old World. WINTERS: North America from central Alaska and southern portions of breeding range in Canada south to central California, northern Illinois, New Jersey. Southern range limit and numbers on winter range vary unpredictably.

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101551