Loggerhead Shrike

Loggerhead Shrike

Lanius ludovicianus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCNTNear ThreatenedVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Joshua Tree National Park

In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%

1,470 Verified sightings at Joshua Tree National Park From 2019 to 2026
8,916 In all 21 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Loggerhead Shrike

The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine bird in the family Laniidae. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike (L. borealis) occurs north of its range; however, it is also found in Siberia. It is nicknamed the butcherbird after its carnivorous tendencies, as it consumes prey such as insects, amphibians, lizards, small mammals and small birds, and some prey end up displayed and stored at a site, for example in a tree. Due to its small size and weak talons, this predatory bird relies on impaling its prey upon thorns or barbed wire for facilitated consumption. The numbers of loggerhead shrike have significantly decreased in recent years, especially in Midwestern, New England and Mid-Atlantic areas.

In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the loggerhead shrike in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Louisiana in the United States. He used the French name La pie-griesche de la Louisiane and the Latin Lanius ludovicianus. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not usually conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:35

United States · 2025

© David Tattersley · XC1000430 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:59

United States · 2020

© Brad Banner · XC614736 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:23

United States · 2018

© Bobby Wilcox · XC418584 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
2 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
3 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
4 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
5 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
6 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
7 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
12 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
13 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
15 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
19 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toluca 🇲🇽 México
~20%
2 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
~10%
3 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 León 🇲🇽 México
~10%
6 Guadalajara 🇲🇽 México
~10%
7 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Puebla 🇲🇽 México
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 San Diego Zoo Safari Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Toronto Zoo 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
3 Nashville Zoo at Grassmere 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
4 Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Loggerhead Shrike in Joshua Tree National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Loggerhead Shrike sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 1,470 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 14th most-seen of the 141 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Loggerhead Shrike in Joshua Tree National Park?

December

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Loggerhead Shrike in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against about 20% in May and September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Loggerhead Shrike?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Loggerhead Shrike sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Joshua Tree National Park the best place to see a Loggerhead Shrike?

Yes

Of the 21 parks where we can rate Loggerhead Shrike sightings, Joshua Tree National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 30%) and Badlands National Park (United States, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Loggerhead Shrike live in Joshua Tree National Park?

Same order: Passeriformes

The closest relatives of the Loggerhead Shrike that you can see in Joshua Tree National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Common Raven (about 90%), Black-throated Sparrow (about 80%) and House Finch (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Loggerhead Shrike sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Loggerhead Shrike is recorded against all the birds logged in Joshua Tree National Park (1,470 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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