Salt Grass Flats - Celebrating Gulf Coast Birds
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The Sibley Guide to Birds contains marvelous illustrations originally drawn by the author using watercolors. This is a great identification guide, not only for adult birds, but juveniles, also. |
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Loggerhead Shrike
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Lanius ludovicianus
Length:
9"
Wingspan:
12"
Weight:
1.7 oz.
M/F outwardly
similar
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Loggerhead
Shrike
Black
mask through eye;
black wings and tail, white patches.
Since it has no talons, it impales its
prey - usually a small bird, mouse, or
insect - on a thorn or barbed wire fence
to facilitate tearing it apart then or at a
later time; hence its other name,
"Butcher Bird."
The only truly predatory songbird.
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Range:
S. Canada
south to S. Mexico
and Gulf States.
Texas: Winters (Sept. - Apr.)
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Habitat:
Open
country with scattered trees, roadsides, scrub,
deserts, etc.
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In
flight
Perched
on a wire the Shrike scans
the ground; looks short-legged,
heavy-headed.
Its flight is flickering. It drops low
and progresses with a rapid motion
on a beeline course, rising to its
next perch.
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Nest:
A bulky mass of twigs and grass
lined with plant down and feathers,
set in a thorny shrub or tree.
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4
- 6 white eggs
spotted with gray and brown |
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