Birds of Indiana. 1005 



XLIV. Family LANIID^. Shhikes. 



a^. Color above ashy to ashy-blue; black stripes on sides of head. Lanius. 150 



150. Genus LANIUS Linn.eds. 



a^ . Wing more than 4.25 ; feathers at base of upper mandible not black. 



It. borealis Vieill. 245 

 a^. Wing under 4.25 ; feathers at base of upper mandible black. 



h^. Above deep lead color; the upper tail coverts varying from near the color 

 of back to nearly pure white. L. ludovicianus (Linn.). 246. 



245. (621). Lanius borealis Vibill. 



Northern Shrike. 

 Synonym, Butcher Bird. 



Adult. — Above, bluish-gray, white on scapulars, upper tail-coverts, 

 forehead and over eyes; wings, black; secondaries and short primaries, 

 tipped with white and white patch at base of the primaries; ear-cov- 

 erts, black; lores, grayish-black, the latter not meeting across forehead 

 next to bill; a white crescent on lower eyelid; tail, black, the outer web 

 of the outside feathers and the tips of some of the others, white; be- 

 low, white, with wavy l)lackish cross bars; bill and feet, black. Im- 

 mature. — Similar, but more brownish or buffy. 



Length.— 9.25-10.75; wing, 4.35-4.60; tail, 4.50-4.75. 



Eange.— ISTorihern North America. Breeds from Hudson Bay 

 north to Arctic Coast. South in winter to Virginia, Kentucky, Kan- 

 sas, Colorado, Arizona and northern California. 



Nest, of sticks, twigs, weeds, bark, grass and feathers; in low tree 

 or bush. Eggs, 4-6; dull white, thickly spotted with light-brown and 

 lavender; 1.10 by .80. 



In southern Indiana the Northern Shrike is usually an irregular, 

 rare winter visitor, though occasionally it is found in some numbers. 

 Northward it is a tolerably common winter resident. It arrives from 

 November 1 to 15, and remains an indefinite time, its length per- 

 haps determined by the food supply. It sometimes leaves in Jan- 

 uary or February and occasionally remains until the middle of 

 March. The spring dates are very uncertain. The Loggerhead Shrike 

 is an early migrant and is often mistaken for this species. TVhile 

 some rare and obscure birds are carefully noted, and concerning 

 them we have good reports; of other birds that are quite conspicuous, 

 we lack accurate information. It would be of value to have observa- 

 tions that shall distinguish between the Shrikes and give full infor- 

 mation concerning the standing of each. The winter of ISSO-Sl this 

 species was quite common at Brookville. The winter of 1885-6 it was 

 numerous about Chicago, 111. 



