How to Identify a Loggerhead shrike: Not a Northern Shrike

Animal identifier ยท Birds

Loggerhead shrike identification photo
Photo: Takashi_Yanagisawa / Pixabay

Lanius ludovicianus

Open country with thorns. Uncommon in much of the East. Gray, with a black mask and a hooked bill.

What does a loggerhead shrike look like?

Gray, with a black mask and a hooked bill.

What sign does it leave?

loggerhead shrike tracks
Track diagram for identification. Compare it with the print in front of you.

A mouse on a thorn is the sign, not a track.

Droppings

loggerhead shrike droppings
Dropping diagram. Do not handle droppings.

Pellets under a wire. Do not handle droppings.

Where you find it

Open country with thorns. Uncommon in much of the East.

This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If a bird is injured, call a local wildlife rehabilitator.

Often confused with a northern shrike. All animal identification pages.