The Loggerhead Shrike is a songbird – but also a predator not only on insects, but also on lizards, small snakes, tree frogs, mice, and small birds. It is resident in Florida and across southern states, but northern populations must migrate and many augment our resident population each winter, gradually disappearing beginning in late January as they slowly move north to their breeding areas.
In Louisiana this shrike is sometimes known as the French Mockingbird because of its size and color similarities to a mockingbird. However, its much-heavier hawk-like bill, black facemask, and talon-like claws can easily identify a Loggerhead Shrike.
Loggerhead Shrikes hunt for food in open areas and often perch on fences, low utility wires, tall weeds, or bare branches, patiently waiting for food to appear. Their choice of open areas is made on the basis of potential food supply – and roads provide a steady supply of road-killed insects and other creatures. These often lure shrikes to their own demise as road-kills.
Other human activities also have an impact on shrikes – leading to much diminished populations and sometimes to novel nests. Heavy pruning of trees eliminates the sheltered nature of nest sites, and frequent mowing grinds up twigs that might be used in nest building. At a local park shrikes couldn’t find appropriate twigs and began using plastic cable ties that were being used on ball-field signs -- then merely cut and left when they dropped into the bare area adjacent to the fence. Safely hidden, well-constructed nests are used again and again, often aided by their plastic reinforcement.