Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyLaniidae (Shrikes)
- GenusLanius (Typical Shrikes)
- SpeciesLanius ludovicianus (Loggerhead Shrike)
The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine bird in the family Laniidae. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike (L. borealis) occurs north of its range; however, it is also found in Siberia. It is nicknamed the butcherbird after its carnivorous tendencies, as it consumes prey such as insects, amphibians, lizards, small mammals and small birds, and some prey end up displayed and stored at a site, for example in a tree. Due to its small size and weak talons, this predatory bird relies on impaling its prey upon thorns or barbed wire for facilitated consumption. The numbers of loggerhead shrike have significantly decreased in recent years, especially in Midwestern, New England and Mid-Atlantic areas. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Yosemite National Park
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Western Wood-Pewee
Contopus sordidulus
Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Loggerhead Shrike at Yosemite National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there