H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

While I was in Florida on vacation, I was fortunate to spot an interesting bird, a # 207 on my list of lifers! Here is some information about this bird:

The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine bird. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike (L. excubitor) occurs north of its range but also in the Palearctic.

It is nicknamed the butcherbird after its carnivorous tendencies, as it consumes prey such as amphibians, insects, lizards, small mammals and small birds. Due to its small size and weak talons, this predatory bird relies on impaling its prey upon thorns or barbed wire for facilitated consumption.

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