Loggerhead Shrike

Louisiana shrike (Lanius ludovicianus )

The Louisiana shrike (Lanius ludovicianus ) is a bird of the family of Shrikes. He is one of the endangered bird species. Its population has declined, mainly due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides.

Appearance

The birds are characterized by a large hooked beak. Head and back are covered with feathers gray. The wings and tail are black with white feather parts on the wings and on the outer tail feather. The black face mask also extends from above the beak. This distinguishes them from the gray shrike, which it otherwise closely resembles.

Habitat and reproductive

The Louisiana shrike is a bird of the North American continent. Its breeding grounds detects the half-open regions in southern Ontario, Quebec and Alberta and extends up to Mexico. The species nests in leafy trees or shrubs. The female lays four to eight eggs in a cup-shaped, large nest is built of twigs and grass.

In the southern range of the Louisiana shrike is a state bird. The living in the northern distribution area populations migrate during the winter half of the year further south.

Hunting behavior and food

The typical form of hunting for the Louisiana Strangler is stand hunting. From one point of view they observe their environment, encounter and from there down on their prey. They primarily eat larger insects and rodents and small birds. They impale their prey on thorns, since they lack the claws as they are to own such as the falcon.

Island gray fox and Louisiana Strangler: conflict of nature protection

On the island of San Clemente, which is one of the Channel Islands of California, brooding one of the subspecies of the Louisiana - strangler, the so-called " San - Clemente - strangler ". This island, which serves as a military base of the U.S. Navy, is also home to one of the subspecies of the island gray fox. This endemic Fuchsart, which evolved from the gray fox and has typical Inselverzwergung is also very vulnerable. The island gray foxes to their own species it belongs to climb trees, eat, among other birds and also the brooding Louisiana Strangler part of their prey spectrum. By the year 2000 began and killed the Navy living in San Clemente foxes to protect in this way the Louisiana Strangler. Since 2000, conservationists pointed out that the island gray fox is also severely threatened habitat due to human intervention. The Navy has subsequently changed its protection measures for these subspecies of Louisiana strangler. The foxes are indeed still trapped, but now being held during the breeding season. The breeding grounds of the strangler are also protected by electric fences to be erected around them, which are designed to keep the foxes.