Loggerhead Shrike

Meet the Loggerhead Shrike. I saw this one on my way back to the parking lot from the beach. Perched high out in the open, its unique silhouette, curved beak, and cool coloring made it stand out, though at first, I didn’t know what it was.

Later, I identified it as a Loggerhead Shrike, which is a pretty fierce sounding name. A cute bird, a cool name, and a last-minute photo—everything was lining up for a fun blog post. Then I started reading about them, and I came across a tidbit of information that made me pause. 

I’d heard of this bird. 

In a college class.

And I had a sense of: Oh, this is that bird.

Loggerhead Shrikes have a distinctly unpleasant way of saving their food. I’ll save you the details, but you can read about it on the New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation's page under Life History.^[1] If you’d rather simply admire a cute little bird on a branch, that’s fine too. 

Loggerhead Shrikes can be found in Florida (and many other southern states) all year long.^[2] I found it surprising I hadn't seen more of them, but maybe I've seen them and simply not recognized them.

Speaking of recognizing things, the Loggerhead Shrike can spot a grasshopper at up to a 70 yards distance—over half the length of a football field.^[1] As fledglings, they practice pursuing prey by chasing nothing.^[2]

Keep an eye out the next time you go to the beach. You never know what you might see!

The Details:

Common Name: Loggerhead Shrike

Scientific Name: Lanius ludovicianus

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Laniidae

Seen: On a branch in an area near the back of the beach

Month: September

Range: The Loggerhead Shrike can be found in at least part of every state in the contiguous United States, with the exception of some states in the Northeast.^[3] It can also be found in parts of Canada and Mexico. Take a look at the helpful range map from the Cornell Lab's website.

Learn More About Loggerhead Shrikes:

1. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (n.d.). Loggerhead Shrike.
2. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Loggerhead Shrike: Overview. All About Birds.
3. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Loggerhead Shrike: Range map. All About Birds.