BIRDS OF THE ST. CROIX RIVER VALLEY 



127 



Winter: Rare winter resident throughout the Valley, most regularly ob- 

 served in the Western Upland and Central Plain. 



Habitat: Primarily a species of semi-open natural habitats and agricultural 

 communities during migration and winter. Most northern shrikes are ob- 

 served perched near the edge of wooded habitats and open fields or along 

 fencerows and highway rights-of-way. The northern shrike is observed infre- 

 quently in coniferous habitat including Lowland Coniferous Forest and 

 Black Spruce- Tamarack Bogs. 



Loggerhead Shrike {Lanius ludovicianus) 



Status: Regular migrant and nesting species, accidental in winter. 



Migration: Formerly common throughout the Valley, this species is now rare 

 during migration. The spring migration period extends from early April (ear- 

 Uest— 27 March 1954, Burnett County) through early May. Fall migration 

 occurs from late August through mid-October (latest— 2 November 1972, 

 Burnett County). Caution must be exercised when identifying shrikes during 

 April and October, because their plumage is similar to the northern shrike. 



Nesting Season Distribution: Formerly a fairly common breeding species; 

 breeding was documented as far north as Solon Springs in Douglas County. 

 Jackson (1943) noted that "several birds were seen in the open pine barrens 

 five miles south of Solon Springs on 4 August 1919, where two families of 

 full grown young were located." Within the last 15 years, however, the 

 status of the loggerhead shrike during the nesting season has changed. Erd- 

 man (1970) summarized the status and distribution of this shrike in Wis- 

 consin, concluding that it was experiencing a statewide decline. Erdman pro- 

 vided information on a nest site near Clayton, Polk County, that is now the 

 northernmost location in the Valley. Loggerhead shrikes were observed in 

 southern Pine County during the 1974 nesting season (Eckert 1974). How- 

 ever, no nests or young were found. 



During 1977, I located two nesting pairs that produced five young in St. 

 Croix County. In 1978, five pairs were located in that county, primarily be- 

 tween Roberts and New Richmond. I observed an additional pair during 

 July about 6.4 km south of Lake Elmo, Washington County. 



Winter: There are two records of the loggerhead shrike during winter in- 

 cluding one bird in Washington County on 1 January 1976. R. E. Faanes ob- 

 served the other bird hunting near a bird feeder in Hudson, St. Croix 

 County, on 15 February 1978. 



Habitat: Primarily a species of edge habitats including fencerows, thorny 

 hedgerows, and brush areas associated with grazed deciduous woodlots. 

 Current clean farming practices, including fencerow removal, may be 

 responsible for some of the dechne observed in the breeding population. 



