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Field Guide for all the Birds of North America

Shrikes

Pie-grièches

Laniidae

Information, images and range maps on over 1,000 birds of North America, including sub-species, vagrants, introduced birds and possibilities

There are two common types of shrikes in North America. Each of these birds has found their own habitat and ranges on the continent. The Northern Shrike spends the warmer months in the central to northern regions in Canada and shows up in the southern portions of Canada and northern regions of the United States in the winter months. The Loggerhead Shrike, once one of the most popular North American birds, is disappearing from its northern boundaries but is still common in the southern states. A third shrike named the Brown Shrike is a vagrant from Asia.

The shrikes are some of the smallest birds of prey in North America. These robin-sized birds feed on a variety of foods. The food depends on the season and its' abundance. The food includes small rodents, small birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Shrikes are known for impaling their victims on thornbushes and barbed wire fences as a means of storing them to be eaten at another time.

Click on the bird images or names to see pictures of the Shrikes seen in North America

Brown Shrike

Loggerhead Shrike

Northern Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

References to Other Bird Sites:

Avibase - the world bird database This site provides the user with a complete list of bird species, broken down per country, or in the example of the US or Canada, per state and province. Here, bird species names are available in other languages, a great asset to be used as a translation of foreign bird names.

ABA - American Birding Association This site represents an organization that maintains official records of all birds species that have been proven to have been seen inside the perimeters of the North American Continent and the surrounding bodies of water. Regular revised versions are posted to keep the bird list current at all times. This is the list used by all serious birders over their lifetime. You may be aware of the movie called the "Big Year". It was with this list that all the competing birders used in an attempt to set a new record as to how many bird species that could be seen by an individual birder in one calendar year.

I hope you will take advantage of these suggested websites. I have used each of them, in one way or another, throughout the years in my quest to better identify and understand our fine feathered friends.

Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB