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Loggerhead Shrike

 
Loggerhead Shrike

 
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The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine
Passerine

A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders:...
 bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
. It is the only member of the shrike
Shrike

Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty one species in three genus. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for butcher, and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits....
 family endemic
Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a particular geographic location, such as a specific island, Habitat type, nation, or other defined zone....
 to North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
.

The bird has a large hooked bill; the head and back are grey and the underparts white. The wings and tail are black, with white patches on the wings and white on the outer tail feather. The black face mask extends over the bill, unlike that of the similar but slightly larger Northern Shrike.

The bird breeds in semi-open areas in southern Ontario
Southern Ontario

Southern Ontario is the portion of the Canada province of Ontario lying south of the French River and Algonquin Park. It is the southernmost region of Canada....
, Quebec
Quebec

Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
 and Alberta
Alberta

Alberta is one of Canada Canadian Prairies Provinces and territories of Canada. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S....
, south to Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
.






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The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine
Passerine

A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders:...
 bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
. It is the only member of the shrike
Shrike

Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty one species in three genus. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for butcher, and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits....
 family endemic
Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a particular geographic location, such as a specific island, Habitat type, nation, or other defined zone....
 to North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
.

The bird has a large hooked bill; the head and back are grey and the underparts white. The wings and tail are black, with white patches on the wings and white on the outer tail feather. The black face mask extends over the bill, unlike that of the similar but slightly larger Northern Shrike.

The bird breeds in semi-open areas in southern Ontario
Southern Ontario

Southern Ontario is the portion of the Canada province of Ontario lying south of the French River and Algonquin Park. It is the southernmost region of Canada....
, Quebec
Quebec

Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
 and Alberta
Alberta

Alberta is one of Canada Canadian Prairies Provinces and territories of Canada. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S....
, south to Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
. It nests in dense trees and shrubs. The female lays 4 to 8 eggs in a bulky cup made of twigs and grass.

The shrike is a permanent resident in the southern part of the range; northern birds migrate
Bird migration

Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather....
 further south.

The bird waits on a perch with open lines of sight and swoops down to capture prey. Its principal food is large insects; it also takes rodents and small birds. Known in many parts as the "Butcher Bird," it impales its prey on thorns or barbed wire before eating it, because it does not have the talon
Claw

A claw is a curved, pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger in most mammals, birds, and some reptiles. Somewhat similar fine hooked structures are found in arthropods such as beetles and spiders, at the end of the leg or Arthropod leg for gripping a surface as the creature walks....
s of the larger birds of prey
Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. Their claws and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
.

The population of this species has declined in the northeastern parts of its range, possibly due to loss of suitable habitat and pesticide
Pesticide

A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest .A pesticide may be a chemical substance, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest ....
 use.

"Loggerhead" refers to the relatively large head as compared to the rest of the body.

Conservation status

The Loggerhead Shrike is critically endangered in Canada (although not in the United States). A captive population was established at the Toronto Zoo
Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in the north eastern part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened August 15, 1974 as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo and is owned by the City of Toronto; the word 'Metropolitan' was dropped from its name when the cities of the Metro Toronto were merged to form the present-day City of Toronto....
 and McGill University in 1997. Ten offspring have been produced that will be released as an experiment.

External links

  • - Cricket-killing and mouse-killing behavior in Loggerhead Shrikes
  • - Effect of insecticides on the behavior of Loggerhead Shrikes
  • - South Dakota Birds and Birding
  • - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
  • (for Mexico
    Mexico

    The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
    ) with RangeMap
  • on the Internet Bird Collection