SHRIKES. Lanius ludovicianus Linnaeus³³

Field characters.—Between Junco and Robin in size; tail as long as body. Plumage bluish gray above, whitish beneath; wings, tail, and stripe through eye, black; large patch of white shows on each wing in flight, and tail is broadly ended and margined with white. (See pl. 53b). Flight usually low over ground; perches solitarily in exposed situations while watching ground for prey. Voice: A harsh call, skree, skree, skree, which may be repeated at short intervals; a song of some compass is given at times during late winter and early spring.

Occurrence.—Common resident at lowest levels on west side of Sierra Nevada. Recorded regularly at Snelling and Lagrange; less often at Smith Creek, 6 miles east of Coulterville (race gambeli); once in Yosemite Valley. Sparingly represented east of mountains near Mono Lake (race excubitorides). Keeps to open, as along roadways, perching on wires, fences, poles, or exposed portions of trees. Solitary.

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³³Two subspecies of shrike are found in the Yosemite region.

CALIFORNIA SHRIKE, Lanius ludovicianus gambeli Ridgway, is a slightly smaller and somewhat darker toned race with only a slight amount of white at upper base of tail. This race is resident in the San Joaquin Valley and penetrates into the foothills even as far as Smith Creek, east of Coulterville.

WHITE-RUMPED SHRIKE, Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides Swainson, is a slightly larger bird, of paler tone above and with the rump usually more clearly white. This subspecies was found about Mono Lake in summer, and has occurred in winter (January 20, 1916) at Smith Creek, on the west slope of the Sierras.

A shrike, of unknown subspecies, was noted in Yosemite Valley on September 4 and 6, 1920 (C. W. Michael, MS).

The two forms of the 'Loggerhead' Shrike cannot be distinguished except by measurement and close examination of specimens in hand.

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The shrike or 'butcherbird' is a common resident along the roadways over the floor of the San Joaquin Valley, but only a few individuals of the species are to be found within the foothill country. There is but one record for Yosemite Valley and none for the higher levels.

The requirements of the shrike are simple. Open fields inhabited by large beetles, grasshoppers, and mice, and some convenient perch four to fifteen feet above the ground from which to watch for prey, will satisfy the bird throughout the entire year. At nesting time a pair will choose some dense bush or tree in the general neighborhood, in which to place the rather bulky and deeply cup-shaped nest. Except when caring for a brood the birds are solitary, and even at this season, the two members of a pair keep spaced well apart so as to avoid the duplication which would result were both to scrutinize the same territory.

The shrike spends most of its time perched quietly on one of its favorite lookout posts. From time to time it changes location to survey a new field, or swoops down to capture some item of prey which by movement has divulged its position to the bird. When leaving one perch for another the bird drops close to the ground, then speeds along in direct line with continuously beating wings, the white patches showing for an instant at each stroke and giving a 'twinkling' effect to the flight. The shrike continues on its low course until close to the new goal, then rises abruptly up and on to the perch.

At rest, the shrike is seen to be a big-headed bird with a relatively large black bill, resembling that of a hawk in outline. There is a black line continuing backward from the bill through the eye which gives the bird a rather bold, fearsome expression. Closed, the wings and tail are black above, the white markings, save when the tail of a perched bird is seen from beneath, showing forth only when the bird is in flight.

On January 7, 1915, at least 8 California Shrikes were seen during a 3-1/2 hour trip over the flat country near Snelling, and the species was found to be about equally abundant below Lagrange in December of the same year. In the latter month the grain farmers were doing their winter plowing and the shrikes almost "followed the plow," waxing fat on easily captured insects. Birds collected at this season contained remains of beetles of various sorts, grasshoppers, and Jerusalem crickets.

In the midwinter months shrikes often appear at the Dudley ranch, on Smith Creek, east of Coulterville. Most of the birds collected there belong to the California race (gambeli), but one, at least, is referable to the subspecies (excubitorides) inhabiting the Great Basin. This indicates that some of the shrikes are given, just as are certain other birds of the arid interior, to wandering over to the west slope of the Sierra Nevada during the season of storms and snow in the Great Basin region.

Near Lagrange on May 6, 1919, a family of California Shrikes was found near the home tree, a blue oak on a hill above the county road. The two parents were accompanied by five lusty youngsters, the latter having left the nest only a day or two previously. From time to time the youngsters implored their parents for food by uttering quavering peevish cries, and at the same time they quivered their wings in the manner common to many young birds. The young at this age showed fine brown barrings on the whitish under surface, the white on their wings and tail was clouded with brown, and the plumage looked softer, more fluffy than that of the adults. The nest was about 9 feet above the ground in the foliage of a dense blue oak, and had been much flattened by its late occupants. The rim of the nest and adjacent foliage of the oak were much spattered with excrement. This suggests that a bird of prey, which the shrike is in habits if not in systematic position, does not need to keep the location of its nest a secret after the young are hatched. A couple of days later, two members of this brood were seen perched on fence posts about 150 feet apart, along the roadway. They were watching an adjacent field. Parental supervision had ceased and the young birds had begun to live independently.