428 Birds of Colorado 



and eighth the longest ; tail of twelve rectrices, about equal to the wing, 

 and graduated ; tarsus rather short, but longer than the middle toe 

 and claw, markedly scutellate. Sexes alike ; } oung more or less barred 

 and vermiculated. 



This is an extensive genus ranging all over Europe, Asia, Africa 

 and North America. 



A. Larger — wing over 4-25 ; no frontal band of black. 



L. borealis, p. 428. 



B. Smaller — wing under 4-0 ; a narrow frontal band connects 



the two side-patches of black. 



L. 1. excubitorides, p. 429; 



Northern Shrike. Lanius borealis. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 621— Colorado Records— Aiken 72, p. 198 ; 

 Trippe 74, p. 102 ; Drew 81, p. 89 ; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 160 ; 

 Morrison 86, p. 153 ; 88, p. 73 ; H. G. Smith 88, p. 163 ; Cooke 97, 

 pp. 112, 217 ; Henderson 03, p. 236 ; 09, p. 239 ; Rockwell 08, p. 175 ; 

 Warren 09, p. 17 ; Cary 09, p. 183. 



Description. — Male — Above blueish-grey, whitening on the rump, 

 scapulars and superciliary region ; a black patch from the base of the 

 bill through the eye to the ear-coverts ; wings and tail black, the 

 primaries with a white bar across them, and the secondaries tipped 

 with white, the tail-feathers with concealed white bases and an in- 

 creasing amount of white on the terminal portion from the centre 

 outwards ; below white with more or less distmct vermiculations of 

 dusky on the breast ; iris brown, bill black in smnmer, dusky horn 

 in winter, legs black. Length 10-25 ; wing 4-5 ; tail 4-25 ; culmen -65 ; 

 tarsus -OS. 



The female closely resembles the male, but is slightly duller in coloiu* ; 

 the white on the wing and tail is more restricted and the vermicula- 

 tions on the chest more distinct ; the dimensions a shade smaller. 

 The young birds are distinctly brownish in shade above, with vermi- 

 culations on the rump, and more marked venniculations on the lower- 

 smrface. 



Distribution. — Breeding from Alaska to Labrador, but not south of 

 the Canadian boimdary. In winter south over to the United States 

 as far as Virginia, New Mexico and central California. 



In Colorado the Northern Shrike is a fairly common winter bird, 

 arriving from the north in October, when it is often foimd at considerable 

 elevations — up to 12,500 f. et according to Drew — and wintering in 

 the plains, foothills and mountain parks up to about 9,500 feet. It 

 goes north again at the end of March or beginning of April — latest 

 date April 9th (Aiken). 



