The Loggerhead Shrike
(Lanius Ludovicianus)
aka The Butcher Bird
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The loggerhead shrike is a predatory bird that is native to North America and is known for its strong, durable beak that it uses to impale its prey. It is a songbird and is one of the 38 species of Shrikes in the world. Shrikes have declined in Texas over the decades as their habitat has disappeared. Wolf Prairie is an important oasis for these interesting birds.
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Hunters on the prairiehttp://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/loggerhead-shrike
The shrike captures its prey by impaling the insect or rodent with its curved beak. The Shrike uses a thorn or barbed wire to impale their prey on it. If they don't finish eating the prey, they impale it back on the surface that was used to kill it, in order to return to it later. The Shrike's diet consists of small mammals, insects, and rodents. The Shrike is able to attack so quickly that it distracts the prey's ability to see the Shrike.
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Hunters in declinehttp://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7092.html
The loggerhead Shrike is decreasing in number for a number of reasons that are not fully understood. One hypothesis on the reason of their decline is vehicle collisions due to the fact that they fly so close to ground level and their habitats are usually less than 4 feet from the ground. The oldest Shrike was seen in 2010 at 11 years and 9 months.
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Shrikes need Wolf Prairiehttp://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike/lifehistory
The Shrikes preferred habitat is grasslands, open areas with trees, and prairies. The Shrike can be seen in Wolf Prairie because of the shrike-friendly qualities the Wolf Prairie possess. Wolf Prairie is a large area with many trees and their are no outside sources that can kill the birds or their nests. The Shrike also uses the Tickle Tongue tree as a base when impaling their prey. They use the tree to save their prey that they have not yet finished eating until they come back. Sometimes prey can last on the trees for up to 8 months until the Shrike comes back for it.
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Sources:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike/lifehistory
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7092.html
http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/logshrike.htm
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/198/overview/Loggerhead_Shrike.aspx
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike/lifehistory
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7092.html
http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/logshrike.htm
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/198/overview/Loggerhead_Shrike.aspx