The northern shrike (Lanius borealis) is a large songbird species in the shrike family (
Laniidae) native to North America and Siberia. Long considered a
subspecies of the
great grey shrike, it was classified as a distinct
species in 2017. Six subspecies are recognised.
Taxonomy
The northern shrike was
formally described by the French ornithologist
Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1808 under its present
binomial nameLanius borealis.[2][3] In the 19th century, North American ornithologists considered it as a separate species from the great grey shrike, while European authorities held them to be the same species. American ornithologist
Alden H. Miller investigated differences between the Siberian and Alaskan populations in 1930 and could find no consistent differences, hence he recommended combining the two into Lanius excubitor.[4]
In North America, this and the related
loggerhead shrike are commonly known as butcherbirds for their habit of impaling prey on thorns or spikes.[5] A folk name from Michigan is winter butcherbird.[6] The
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation people of
Old Crow, Yukon call it Tzi kwut go katshi lyi.[7] As a passerine, or song bird, it has no talons. It has the hooked beak of a raptor.
Similar to excubitor, but darker with faint barring below.
John James Audubon called this subspecies the great American shrike in his book Birds of America.
Larger and paler than borealis, paralleling homeyeri compared to excubitor.
Description
The loggerhead shrike can be distinguished from the northern shrike by its smaller size, darker grey plumage and larger black face mask that covers the eye completely. It also has a shorter bill with less prominent hook. Their calls are similar.[9]
Observations of wintering habitats in Idaho suggest suitable wintering territories are in demand, as northern shrikes that died in a particular area were quickly replaced.[11]
^McAtee, W. L. (1951). "Bird names connected with weather, seasons, and hours". American Speech. 26 (4): 268–278.
doi:
10.2307/453005.
JSTOR453005.
^Irving, Laurence (1958). "Naming of birds as part of the intellectual culture of Indians at Old Crow, Yukon Territory". Arctic. 11 (2): 117–122.
doi:
10.14430/arctic3738.