Northern Shrike at John Heinz NWR

This morning while walking around John Heinz NWR I found a Northern Shrike (above). This is a species that breeds in the northern reaches of our continent, and in winter is an uncommon visitor to the northern United States. Along the east coast, central Pennsylvania and New Jersey is about as far south as they may come, with fewer than 10 records statewide in most winters.

I believe that this is the second record of Northern Shrike for John Heinz NWR, which is in Philadelphia and Delaware counties, in southeastern Pennsylvania. The first being a bird that overwintered in 1954-55, 57 years ago!

As there are no breeding Loggerhead Shrikes in our area it is unlikely that we would encounter both North America’s shrike species during the late fall and winter months. That said, one still needs to study the bird carefully as both species are relativley similar in appearance. Either one would be a good record for the Philadelphia region.

This Northern Shrike (above) is probably a 1st winter bird as it shows some brownish wash. Note, the strongly barred breast and belly; white eyering (seen best in the 2nd photo); narrow black mask behind the eye; lack of black from the mask going above the eye; very narrow black lore; no black across the bridge of the bill, and a pale base to the lower mandible. All these identification marks help to separate it from the similar looking Loggerhead Shrike (below).

I recently took this picture of a Loggerhead Shrike (above) in Texas, and though it is an adult bird, one can still pick out the differences discussed above. Note, unbarred chest (at this time of year an immature would have lost any of its juvenile limited barring); thicker black mask; black over the top of the eye; no eyering; black of the lore extending over the bridge of the bill, and all black bill.