A Central Coast Winter for a Loggerhead Shrike
Have you ever seen a lizard or insect impaled on a fence? You may have seen the work of a Loggerhead Shrike, one of North America’s most fascinating songbirds! Known as the “Butcher Bird,” shrikes are small but formidable predators, often perched along fences or utility wires as they hunt insects, lizards, and small rodents, impaling prey on thorns, sharp branches, or barbed wire.
This winter, we cared for one of these remarkable birds who came all the way from Lake Tahoe.
Last fall, we transferred two young coyotes to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care for the next stage of rehabilitation. One had arrived underweight and covered in ticks, while the other was suffering from severe mange. Because young coyotes need large outdoor spaces and the opportunity to grow and socialize as a pack before release, they were moved to facilities specially suited for raising young coyotes together.
In return, we took in their Loggerhead Shrike patient for the winter.
The shrike had been caught in a glue trap and lost its tail feathers entirely. Glue traps, sold for rodent control, are both inhumane and indiscriminate. Rather than killing instantly, they cause prolonged suffering through starvation, dehydration, suffocation, and severe injuries. Birds, lizards, small mammals, and other unintended victims can all become trapped.
For birds, feathers are essential survival tools. Tail feathers provide balance, maneuverability, and precision during flight. Before this shrike could return to the wild, it needed to fully regrow its tail—a process that took months. From September through April, the shrike remained in our care while regrowing its feathers. Timing also mattered: shrikes in the Tahoe region usually leave during the winter to escape the cold, so release needed to happen in the right season and location to give this bird the best possible chance at survival.
Finally, this spring, the shrike was ready. Emma, former intern and current Baby Bird Room Technician, made the drive back to Tahoe to return the bird to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care for release.
Loggerhead Shrikes are classified as “Near Threatened” as their populations have declined sharply across North America due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and other human-caused pressures. In California, they are considered a Species of Special Concern.
These animals’ journeys are a reminder that wildlife rehabilitation is deeply collaborative work. Sometimes the best outcome means working together, exchanging young coyotes for a mighty shrike, so each animal has the best chance to heal, grow, and return to the wild where they belong.
