Native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, this bird prefers savanna, grassland, wetland, desert, forest, and shrubland ecosystems as well as rocky areas. 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. During the few... Nesting.

The Northern Shrike is a winter-only resident of South Dakota, spending its summers in northern Canada and Alaska. Northern Shrike Life History Habitat. In addition, the diverse habitat in this area provides important stopover locations for They breed in far northern North America and come as far south as the northern U.S. for winter. Northern Shrike Images, Facts and Information: Lanius borealis (formerly Lanius excubitor) Northern Shrikes are soft gray with white throats and chests with a black mask, legs and hooked bills with large blocky heads. Family: Shrikes: Habitat: Semi-open country with lookout posts; wires, trees, scrub. Northern Shrikes eat insects and small vertebrates. They inhabit open habitats, especially steppe and savannah. It nests in the far north on the tundra. Loss of habitat on Loggerhead Shrike overwintering grounds is likely a large factor in the species decline as well, especially as migrating shrikes from northern breeding areas increasingly encounter habitats already saturated by resident, non-migratory shrikes (Brooks 1988; Brooks and Temple 1990). Here in North America we have exactly two species of butcherbirds: the medium-sized Northern Shrike (also know as the Great Grey Shrike) and the somewhat smaller Loggerhead Shrike. During recent decades, numbers have declined in many areas; now essentially gone from the northeast. Shrikes are rare among songbirds for their lifestyle of hunting and eating animals. Habitat Found all across the Northern Hemisphere, Northern Shrikes breed in northern boreal forests in … Locations and Conditions of Key Habitat. Northern Shrikes are song birds with some of the A denizen of grasslands and other open habitats throughout much of North America, this masked black, white, and gray predator hunts from utility poles, fence posts and other conspicuous perches, preying on insects, birds, lizards, and small mammals. Native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, this bird prefers savanna, grassland, wetland, desert, forest, and shrubland ecosystems as well as rocky areas. Most shrike species have a Eurasian and African distribution, with just two breeding in North America (the loggerhead and great grey shrikes).

72 p. Maxell, B.A. Solitary and wary, the shrike is likely to be seen perched at the top of a lone tree in an open field, watching for prey. Preferred Habitat. The Northern Shrike is the most adundant shrike seen in North America. The oldest recorded Northern Shrike, a female, was at least 8 years, 7 months old when she was recaptured and released during banding operations in Wisconsin. The burly, bull-headed Northern Shrike is a pint-sized predator of birds, small mammals, and insects. Partners in Flight (PIF) identifies the Loggerhead Shrike as a Common Bird in Steep Decline.