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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Lanius borealis
Northern Shrike

 
Scientific Name: Lanius borealis Vieillot, 1808
Scientific Name Synonyms: Lanius excubitor
English Name: Northern Shrike
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). Chesser, R.T., K.J. Burns, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2017. Fifty-eighth Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 134:751-773.
Classification Level: Species
Taxonomy Comments: Formerly considered conspecific with L. excubitor Linnaeus, 1758 [Great Gray Shrike], but treated as separate on the basis of differences in plumage and mtDNA (Johnsen et al. 2010, Olsson et al. 2010, Peer et al. 2011). Lanius borealis is more closely related to L. ludovicianus, L. meridionalis (Temminck, 1820) [Southern Gray Shrike], and L. sphenocercus (Cabanis, 1873) [Chinese Gray Shrike] than to the nominate excubitor group (Olsson et al. 2010) (AOU 2017).

September 18, 2017 - Changed from Lanius excubitor to Lanius borealis as per the 58st Supplement to the AOU Update (DDW).
Species Group: Vertebrate Animal
Species Code: B-NOSH
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Animalia Craniata Aves Passeriformes Laniidae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G5 (Apr 2016)
Provincial Status: S4B,S4N (Mar 2015)
BC List: Yellow
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 4 - Secure (2005)
Migratory Bird Convention Act: Y
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description:
Global Reproduction Comments: Breeding begins mid-late May (Harrison 1978). Clutch size is 2-9 (usually 4-6). Incubation is done mainly by female (Terres 1980). Young are tended by both adults, leave nest 20 days after hatching, independent in 10 more days. Single brooded (E. Atkinson, pers. comm.).
Global Ecology Comments: On breeding grounds, foraging home range estimated to be 130 hectares (Cade 1967). In Idaho, winter territory size was 55-357 hectares (mean 216 hectares), with a main core area (over one-half of activity) averaging 50 hectares (Atkinson 1993).
Migration Characteristics:
(Global / Provincial)		 
    Nonmigrant:
    Local Migrant:
    Distant Migrant:
    Within Borders Migrant: 		Y / N
Y / N
Y / N
na / N
Global Migration Comments: Mostly a long-distance migrant; breeding and winter ranges overlap in southern Alaska and northwestern Canada.
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence) 		Agriculture / Cultivated Field / Unknown
Agriculture / Hedgerow / Unknown
Agriculture / Pasture/Old Field / Unknown
Alpine/Tundra / Krummholtz / Unknown
Anthropogenic / Urban/Suburban / Unknown
Forest / Conifer Forest - Dry / Unknown
Forest / Conifer Forest - Mesic (average) / Unknown
Forest / Conifer Forest - Moist/wet / Unknown
Forest / Deciduous/Broadleaf Forest / Unknown
Grassland/Shrub / Shrub - Natural / Unknown
Other Unique Habitats / Avalanche Track / Unknown
Riparian / Riparian Forest / Unknown
Wetland / Bog / Unknown
Wetland / Fen / Unknown
Wetland / Marsh / Unknown
Wetland / Swamp / Unknown
Global Habitat Comments: Open deciduous or coniferous woodland, taiga, thickets, bogs, and scrub; in migration and winter, also open situations with scattered trees and cultivated lands (AOU 2017).
Food Habits: Carnivore: Adult, Immature
Invertivore: Adult, Immature
Global Food Habits Comments: Feeds on mice, voles, small birds, snakes, lizards, and frogs; also eats a wide variety of insects. In Idaho in winter, small mammals were the most important prey; also ate many arthropods and some birds (Atkinson and Cade 1993). Usually sits on an exposed perch and watches for prey.
Global Phenology: Diurnal: Adult, Immature
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Colonial Breeder: N
Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): 25/ / 66
Elevation (m) (min / max): Global: 
Provincial: 
   
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: Breeds in North America from western and northern Alaska, northern Yukon, northwestern and southern Northwest Territories, and southwestern Kivalliq south to southern Alaska (west to the Alaska Peninsula), northwestern British Columbia, northern Alberta, northern Manitoba, northern Ontario, northern and central Quebec, and southern Labrador, and in the Old World west to western Siberia and south to extreme northwestern China, the Russian Altai, the Russian Tien Shan, northern Mongolia, and Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Winters in North America from central Alaska and the
southern portions of the breeding range in Canada, Minnesota, and northwestern Wisconsin south (irregularly) to northern California, central Nevada, northern Arizona, central New Mexico, northern Texas, northwestern Oklahoma, Kansas, central Missouri, northern Illinois, central Indiana, northern Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, casually to the central Aleutians, south to the southern parts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, to northern Texas, Arkansas, northern Tennessee, North Carolina, and Bermuda, and in Eurasia in the southern parts of the breeding range, northeastern China, uncommonly through Japan to Kyushu, and casually to eastern Europe and Norway.
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author: Hammerson, G.
Last Updated: May 23, 1994
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
   
References and Related Literature
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
Atkinson, E. C. 1993. Winter territories and night roosts of northern shrikes in Idaho. Condor 95:515-527.
Atkinson, E. C., and T. J. Cade. 1993. Winter foraging and diet composition of northern shrikes in Idaho. Condor 95:528-535.
Bent, A.C. 1950. Life histories of North American wagtails, shrikes, vireos, and their allies. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 197. Washington, D.C.
Cade, T. J. 1967. Ecological and behavioral aspects of predation by the northern shrike. Living Bird 6:43-86.
Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J.M. Cooper, G.W. Kaiser, M.C.E. McNall and G.E.J. Smith 1997. The Birds of British Columbia, Vol. 3, Passerines: Flycatchers through Vireos. UBC Press in cooperation with Environ. Can., Can. Wildl. Serv. and B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Wildl. Branch. 700pp.
Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
National Geographic Society (NGS). 1983. Field guide to the birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.
Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
Yosef, R. 1994. Evaluation of the global decline in the true shrikes (family Laniidae). Auk 111:228-233.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1994. Species Summary: Lanius borealis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 10, 2026).