Shrikes are unique in that they are predatory songbirds with a hooked bill, and cheery call. Nicknamed “Butcher Birds”, shrikes will hang their prey from thorns or barbed wire fences. There are two species of shrikes that can be found in Wisconsin (one much more rare than the other), and they both look similar with a few noticeable differences.
Shrikes of Wisconsin
Northern Shrike
Identification
Northern Shrikes look similar to Loggerhead Shrikes, with a gray back, white stomach, black mask, and black and white wings and tail. However, an adult Northern Shrike will have a thinner black mask, and a barred stomach, as opposed to a clean white stomach.
Click here for more information about how to tell Northern Shrikes and Loggerhead Shrikes apart
Range
The Northern Shrike has some year-round range in Alaska, but mostly lives in Northern North America in summer and migrates down to the Northern and Central United States in winter. They can be found most frequently in Wisconsin in the winter.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Northern Shrikes feed mostly on insects and small vertebrates, but will sometimes also eat carrion. Although they do not have talons, Shrikes will use different tactics to kill their prey, including driving it into the ground or using their hooked bill. Once dead, Shrikes will sometimes wedge the prey onto a thorn or wire.
Where to Find this Bird
Northern Shrikes are almost exclusively found in Wisconsin in winter. They can be found in edge habitat with open landscape nearby, and ample perches, whether manmade or natural. Some specific locations to look for Northern Shrikes in Wisconsin is at Buena Vista Grasslands (Portage County, WI) and Vernon Marsh (Waukesha County, WI).
Loggerhead Shrike (Rare)
Identification
The Loggerhead Shrike is a gray bird with a thick, black mask, hooked black bill, gray body, clean white stomach, black and white wings, and black tail feathers. They look similar to the Northern Shrikes, but adults will have a thicker black mask and a clean white stomach, as opposed to the barred stomach of the Northern Shrike. Loggerhead Shrikes also have a more head-heavy appearance.
Range
Loggerhead Shrikes can be found year round in many parts of Southern North America, and move further north in their breeding season; going as far as parts of Southern Canada. During their nonbreeding season, some individuals may expand further south into areas where they are not normally found year round. In Wisconsin, Loggerhead Shrikes will show up in summer, if they make their way into the state at all.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Loggerhead Shrikes feed mostly on insects, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and birds, but they will also eat organisms that are already dead such as roadkill.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Loggerhead Shrikes in open areas that also have isolated perching structures such as low trees, shrubs, or fences. In Wisconsin, they are almost exclusively seen in the summer, and are a rarity. They used to be more common but have been seen less frequently in recent years.
