SHBIKES 507 



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) . Kee^js to open, as along roadways, 

 perching on wires, fences, poles, or exposed portions of trees. Solitary. 



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 footliill 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' efi'ect to the flight. The shrike con- 

 tinues 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 31/2 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 



