Loggerhead Shrike

One of our favorite avian visitors of the year has been a pair of Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) that showed up in the middle of winter and decided to stay. This beautiful pair of mockingbird-sized birds have gorgeous black masks and wing edges. Seemingly unconcerned with the presence of humans, this pair is often seen diving into beds right after we finish weeding an area so they can search the freshly turned earth for tasty insect snacks.

Apparently these birds found a happy home in the Richard T. Bowers Historic Tree Grove and have taken up residence. The pair constructed a nest high in the boughs of the Dr. John Gorrie Red Cedar and are busily working on making more Shrikes for the garden.  The female will lay between four and eight eggs on average and if she rears the young successfully we can expect to have Shrikes in the garden for many seasons to come.

Known commonly as “Butcher Birds” this species captures live food from large insects to lizards and even other birds. Lacking the talons of larger birds of prey, this small species  impales their prey on thorns or barbed wire to kill their prey before they begin to dine.