Species: Lanius ludovicianus

Loggerhead Shrike
Species

    Slightly smaller than American robin (TURDUS MIGRATORIUS); total length averages 23 cm; stout, hooked, all-dark bill; bluish-gray head and back; white or grayish-white underparts, very faintly barred in adults; broad black mask extending above eye and thinly across top of bill; gray to whitish rump; black tail with white tip; large white patches in the black wings; juveniles are paler and barred overall, with brownish-gray upperparts and buffy wing patches; males and females are similar in appearance (Miller 1931, NGS 1983, Fraser and Luukkonen 1986). Most nests are made of coarse twigs with a lining of plant material and animal hair (Fraser and Luukkonen 1986).

    Articles:

    Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

    This article was originally published by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as part of its annual report Threatened and Endangered Wildlife in Washington.

     

    Loggerhead Shrike in Grant County, Washington (photo by Joe Higbee).
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Aves

    Order

    Passeriformes

    Family

    Laniidae

    Genus

    Lanius

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    Alcaudón Verdugo - pie-grièche migratrice
    Informal Taxonomy
    <p>Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Perching Birds</p>
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Passeriformes - Laniidae - Lanius - (AOU 1998).

    Slightly smaller than American robin (TURDUS MIGRATORIUS); total length averages 23 cm; stout, hooked, all-dark bill; bluish-gray head and back; white or grayish-white underparts, very faintly barred in adults; broad black mask extending above eye and thinly across top of bill; gray to whitish rump; black tail with white tip; large white patches in the black wings; juveniles are paler and barred overall, with brownish-gray upperparts and buffy wing patches; males and females are similar in appearance (Miller 1931, NGS 1983, Fraser and Luukkonen 1986). Most nests are made of coarse twigs with a lining of plant material and animal hair (Fraser and Luukkonen 1986).

    Short General Description
    A bird (shrike).
    Migration
    <p>true - true - true - Withdraws southward from northern half of breeding range for winter. Banding returns indicate that birds from as far north as Alberta and Quebec winter from southern Kansas, Missouri, and Virginia south to Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas (Fruth 1988). Shrikes in Wisconsin begin moving south in August. In Oklahoma and Missouri, begins to arrive and set up breeding teritories in mid-February (Tyler 1992). Returns to nesting areas in New York in mid- to late April (Novak 1989). Shrikes breeding in the Virginias and Maryland frequently are resident, but there appears to be some southward movement. Shrikes that formerly bred in New England apparently followed a predominantly coastal migration route (Milburn 1981). Nonmigratory in much of California, especially in southern and central coastal regions (Matthews and Moseley 1990).</p>
    Non-migrant
    true
    Locally Migrant
    true
    Food Comments
    Feeds primarily on large insects (especially beetles and orthopterans), also other invertebrates, small birds, lizards, frogs, and rodents; sometimes scavenges (Fraser and Luukkonen 1986). Diet varies with season and location; in parts of the range, most of the food eaten in winter may be vertebrates, which comprise only a small part of the diet in California. In California, the summer diet comprises mainly insects (Terres 1980). Captures prey usually via a short flight from a perch; sometimes hovers kestrel-like or walks when foraging (Bent 1950, Luukkonen 1987). Sometimes impales food items on a plant thorn or on barbed wire (Fraser and Luukkonen 1986); such items may be eaten later or fed to young (Applegate 1977).
    Reproduction Comments
    Male courtship behavior involves singing, flashing of white wing and tail markings, zigzagging flights and occasional chases of the female, and feeding of the female (Miller 1931, Bent 1950, Kridelbaugh 1982). Primarily monogamous, but polygny known (Yosef 1992, 1996). In Oklahoma, completed nests were found from mid-March through late June; nesting peaked in mid-April, with second nestings from late May to late June (Tyler 1992). In Missouri and Illinois, nesting peaked in late April, with a second peak in late May in Missouri (Tyler 1992). In Maryland, second nesting attempts occurred in June and July (Bartgis 1992). In Virginia, egg-laying extended from early April to mid-June (Byrd and Johnston 1991). Egg laying began in Colorado in early May. Egg dates for California and Florida are mainly February-July, March-June in Arizona and Texas. Single eggs are laid at intervals of one day. Clutch size usually averages 4-6. Incubation usually lasts 16-18 days (Lukkonen 1987, Tyler 1992), probably begins with the laying of the penultimate egg. Male feeds female during incubation. Young tended by both adults, fledge in about 17-20 days, independent in 36 days. Young generally stay concealed in foliage during the first few days out of the nest. About two weeks after leaving the nest, fledglings begins to capture food for themselves; they contunue to be fed by adults for about two more weeks (Luukkonen 1987, Novak 1989). By this time, adults and young begin foraging in areas away from the nesting territory (Novak 1989). In New York, family groups began to break up and disperse in August (Novak 1989). Renesting after nest failure is frequent in the Virginias and Maryland (Luukkonen 1987, Davidson 1988; Bartgis, pers. comm.), but second nesting attempts may be less common in the northern part of the range (Brooks and Temple 1986, Fruth 1988, Novak 1989). A third nesting attempt, usually unsuccessful, may follow an unsuccessful second nesting. Sometimes female leaves fledglings in care of male (Kridelbaugh 1982, Novak 1989); female may renest elsewhere with another male (Novak 1989, Haas and Sloane 1989). <br><br>Probability of survival from start of incubation to fledging ranged from 43% to 72% in several studies in different areas (see Tyler 1992). Nesting success tends to be fairly high (range was 50-74% in several studies in the eastern U.S.); generally at least 60% of nesting attempts fledge at least one young (Luukkonen 1987, Brooks 1988, Blumton et al. 1989, Novak 1989, Gawlik and Bildstein 1990, Bartgis 1992). Average number of young fledged per successful nest was 2.6, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.7 in Virginia, New York, Virginia, and South Carolina, respectively (Blumton et al. 1989, Novak 1989, Luukkonen 1987, and Gawlik and Bildstein 1990, respectively). Nest failure was attributed to cold wet weather and predation in New York (Novak 1989) and to predation, abandonment, and inadequate support of nests in Virginia (Luukkonen 1987). Nesting success tends to be better with dry, warm conditions than during cool, wet periods (Kridelbaugh 1982).
    Ecology Comments
    Territorial throughout the year. Size of territory may be about 10-16 ha in semidesert. In Florida, territory size varied from about 0.7 ha to 18 ha (Yosef and Grubb 1994). In New York, successful nesting pairs foraged over an area of 5.7-9.3 ha; the smallest area of active pasture in the nesting territory was about 5.5 ha (Novak 1989). Miller (1931) reported nesting territories of 4.4 to 16 ha. Kridelbaugh (1982) reported an average territory size of 4.6 ha in Missouri, with territory size increasing significantly after fledging. In Minnesota during the nesting season, shrikes foraged up to a quarter mile away from the nest (Brooks 1988). In general, nesting territories are smaller in areas with a greater amount of good quality habitat (Kridelbaugh 1982). In Virginia, juveniles established 2 ha to 36 ha (mean 19 ha) fall and winter territories, although use of woody habitats in inclement weather significantly enlarged the home range (Blumton et al. 1989). In Virginia, winter home ranges averaged 52 ha (Blumton et al. 1989). <br><br>Breeding and winter territories may or may not be separate. Males and females defend separate territories during the nonbreeding season. <br><br>In Virginia, juveniles 10-13 weeks old moved an average of 5.5 km from parents' territory to fall territory; predation by hawks and owls accounted for most fall and winter mortality, with the heaviest mortality in January when temperatures were coldest (Blumton et al. 1989). Suspected nest and fledgling predators in the northeastern North America include black rat snake (ELAPHE OBSOLETA), blue jay (CYANOCITTA CRISTATA), sharp-shinned hawk (ACCIPITER STRIATUS), domestic cat, and house wren (TROGLODYTES AEDON) (Luukkonen 1987, Novak 1989).
    Length
    23
    Weight
    47
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G4
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    2001-02-07
    Global Status Last Changed
    2001-02-07
    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=S3&CA.MB=S1&CA.NB=SX&CA.NS=SH&CA.ON=S2&CA.QC=S1&CA.SK=S3&US.AL=S3&US.AZ=S4&US.AR=S4&US.CA=S4&US.CO=S3&US.CT=__&US.DE=SH&US.DC=SX&US.FL=SNR&US.GA=S4&US.ID=S3&US.IL=S3&US.IN=S3&US.IA=S3&US.KS=S4&US.KY=S4&US.LA=S4&US.ME=SH&US.MD=S1&US.MA=SX&US.MI=SNR&US.MN=S2&US.MS=__&US.MO=S2&US.MT=S3&US.NN=S4&US.NE=S5&US.NV=S4&US.NH=SH&US.NJ=__&US.NM=S3&US.NY=S1&US.NC=S3&US.ND=SU&US.OH=S1&US.OK=S4&US.OR=S3&US.PA=SNR&US.SC=S3&US.SD=S3&US.TN=S3&US.TX=S4&US.UT=S4&US.VT=__&US.VA=S2&US.WA=S3&US.WV=S1&US.WI=S1&US.WY=S3" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - BREEDING: California, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and central Alberta eastward across southern Canada to southwestern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and south to southern Baja California, throughout Mexico to Oaxaca and Veracruz,the Gulf Coast, and southern Florida (AOU 1983). Recently has been disappearing from the northeastern portion of the breeding range. In the northeastern U.S., breeds in in western Maryland, extreme eastern West Virginia, and Virginia (perhaps several dozen pairs); extirpated elsewhere (Bartgis 1992, R. W. MacDonald pers. comm.). NON-BREEDING: central Washington, eastern Oregon, California, southern Nevada, northern Arizona, northern New Mexico, and (east of the Rockies) the southern half of breeding range south to the Gulf Coast, southern Florida, and Mexico (AOU 1983).
    Global Range Code
    H
    Global Range Description
    >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104527