Loggerhead Shrike – State Wildlife Action Plan

Loggerhead Shrike

VIEW DATA LAYERS IN COMPASS.
Photo Credit: Keith Kohl, ODFW

The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a medium-sized, thick-bodied songbird, slightly smaller than an American Robin. Both this species and its close relative, the Northern Shrike, are known for a unique hunting behavior where they impale their prey on thorns or barbed wire to store or eat later.

Adult Loggerhead Shrikes are about 20 centimeters long and can weigh up to 50 grams. Males and females look alike. Their feathers are gray on the back and white on the throat and belly. They have a bold black mask that covers their eyes and goes across the bill, a large head, and a thick, hooked black bill. Their wings are black with a white patch, and they have a long black-and-white tail.

Young birds keep their juvenile feathers into the fall. These feathers look similar to adult plumage but are more brownish, with gray bars on the belly and lighter markings on the head and back.

Loggerhead Shrikes fly with an undulating pattern with rapid wingbeats. They may also hover in place when hunting.

Of the 11 subspecies of Loggerhead Shrike found across North America, only one, L. l. gambeli, is found in Oregon.

Overview

  • Species Common Name Loggerhead Shrike
  • Species Scientific Name Lanius ludovicianus
  • State Listing Status Sensitive

Ecoregions

    Special needs

    Loggerhead Shrikes use tall sagebrush for nesting and roosting. They require open areas with grasses and significant bare ground for foraging. In Oregon, Loggerhead Shrikes are found closely associated with eastside shrub-dominated tall sagebrush habitats with grass understories, and do not breed in grass dominated habitat types. Abundance corresponds with areas of flat topography with deep soils and a patch mosaic of shrub heights. Suitable hunting perches interspersed in open landscapes are an important part of Loggerhead Shrike habitat, and these may include poles, wires, and fence posts. Loggerhead Shrikes are largely resident in Oregon and use the same habitats areas all year.

    Limiting factors

    Population declines of the Loggerhead Shrike have been linked to habitat loss, including loss of sagebrush due to high-intensity wildfires. Shrikes nesting in shrub-steppe habitat are relatively intolerant of human disturbance and avoid nesting in populated areas. Sagebrush habitats in western North America are in steep decline: losses from the historical extent of sagebrush habitats have been extensive, and sagebrush ecosystems are considered one of the most imperiled habitat types in the continental United States. In eastern Oregon however, sagebrush habitats are still relatively common and widespread, though there has been significant habitat loss and degradation. Sage-steppe habitat is further degraded by altered fire regimes. Loggerhead Shrikes are vulnerable to mortality from vehicle strike, suggesting that roads may be an important barrier to movement.

    Data gaps

    • Investigate post-fledging survivorship as a function of habitat quality.
    • Evaluate the impacts of pesticide use on shrike prey base, especially grasshoppers.
    • Assess migratory behavior. Determine the proportion of Oregon birds that are migratory.

    Conservation actions

    •Maintain late-seral sagebrush with patches of tall shrubs.

    Key reference or plan

    Conservation of Landbirds and Associated Habitats and Ecosystems in the Northern Rocky Mountains of Oregon and Washington. Read here

    USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region. 2003. Conservation Assessment for the Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus). Read here