Field guides make shrike identification seem much easier than it is. If you live in the northern United States, you can see the Loggerhead Shrike in summer and the Northern Shrike in winter (they breed up in the taiga and tundra). Most concurred that it was a Loggerhead, but the reasons were mostly subjective … A perplexing shrike … Northern Shrike. Like other shrikes, it inhabits ecotones, grasslands, and other open habitats and feeds on a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate prey. Wings are black with white patches. Dec 4, 2018 - The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine bird in the family Laniidae. ID challenge while studying a distant shrike. LIFESPAN But what do you do in the middle of the country where their winter ranges overlap? Tail is long, black, and white-edged. Most shrike species have a Eurasian and African distribution, with just two breeding in North America (the loggerhead and great grey shrikes). Northern Shrikes occur in Washington only during the non-breeding season; for most of the year, they do not occur in Washington at the same time as Loggerhead Shrikes. Although they are easily confused with the Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor), the Loggerhead is smaller (210 mm or 8 inches long) and weighs 45–55 g (1.6–1.9 oz) and its mask extends above its beak. Loggerhead Shrike: Medium shrike with gray upperparts and paler gray underparts. The two species can overlap from the third week of March through until, say, late April (rough average). As I photographed the Lark Sparrow I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and looked over to see an adult Loggerhead Shrike that had perched on a nearby fence post, before I could point my lens at the shrike another shrike came in and passed some food to this shrike then flew off before I could fire a shot. IDENTIFICATION AID LOGGERHEAD vs. NORTHERN SHRIKES BRUCE PETERJOHN During most of the year, when a birder comes across a shrike, its identi­ fication is not a problem. Northern Shrikes, in comparison with Loggerhead Shrikes, have larger bills and narrower masks. They sport gray upper-parts and white under-parts, a distinctive black face mask, and black wings with a prominent white wing patch. Its coloration is similar to a mockingbird with gray above and white below. Based on eBird history, it seemed more likely to be a Northern Shrike at this time of year, but I … Adult. Flight is swift and undulating on shallow rapid wing beats. The Loggerhead Shrike is the only one of the world's thirty species of true shrikes that occurs exclusively in North America. A Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Cardinal and a Northern Mockingbird were all spotted on Sunday, March 25, 2018 in The Villages, FL. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too. Most shrike species have a Eurasian and African distribution, with just two breeding in North America (the loggerhead and great grey shrikes). Legs and feet are black. Both sexes have a territory song, which is similar to the spring mating song. In the extreme southern states, you only get the Loggerhead year round. Wings are black with white patches. However, between November and March, shrike identi­ fication becomes fairly … February 1999. The juvenile also has a less obvious mask, a paler bill, and barred underparts. IDENTIFICATION AID LOGGERHEAD vs. NORTHERN SHRIKES BRUCE PETERJOHN During most of the year, when a birder comes across a shrike, its identi­ fication is not a problem. A Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Cardinal and a Northern Mockingbird were all spotted on Sunday, March 25, 2018 in The Villages, FL. Low, swift flight, alternates rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides. Similar Species Northern Shrike. In the spring, a male’s song consists of short trills or combinations of notes that vary in rhythm, pitch and quality. Tail is long, black, and white-edged. Description. Like other shrikes, it inhabits ecotones, grasslands, and other open habitats and feeds on a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate prey. Northern Shrikes are considered a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, though in some parts of its range in Europe, it has been extirpated, blamed primarily on expanded and changing land use patterns in northern Europe. The Loggerhead Shrike. Often called the “butcher bird,” the shrike skewers grasshoppers and other prey on thorns or barbed wire for when hunting is lean. Habitat Homebodies. Posted in Birds, Nature, vs. Human habitat Tagged Anhinga, Birding, Great Egret, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Cardinal, Pileated woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Tufted titmouse, Wilson's warbler, Wood duck, Yardbirds 12 Comments Love Is In The Air (Sound!) It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike (L. borealis) occurs north of its range but also in the eastern Palearctic. Northern Shrike: Medium shrike with gray upperparts,pale gray underparts. There are 11 subspecies of Loggerhead Shrike in North America, two of which are found in Canada: the Prairie Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides and the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus migrans.