Above: Northern Shrike in southwest Winnipeg, MB, surveying the bird feeders below it on February 2, 2023.
The Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis) is one of only two breeding species of the family Laniidae (34 species worldwide), which occur in North America, the other being the similar-looking and slightly smaller Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus). Differentiating between the two in Manitoba is usually aided by time of year, as there is little overlap with the seasonal occurrence of the southerly breeding Loggerhead Shrike.
Shrikes are medium-sized, predatory songbirds with a thick neck and large, rounded head. Although it does not possess the talons of a raptor, the Northern Shrike is a fierce predator, capable of catching and dispatching insect, mammalian and avian prey with strong feet and a stout, hooked bill. It has a “tomial tooth,” which is a toothlike spike on either side of the upper bill and a corresponding notch on either side of the lower mandible, enabling it to kill vertebrate prey with a swift bite to the back of the neck.
This distinction from other songbirds, as well as the habit of impaling prey on thorns, sharp twigs and barbed wire, or wedging it in a branch fork, as a larder or to aid in dismemberment, has earned shrikes the common moniker of “butcher-bird”; indeed the genus name comes from the Latin lanius meaning “butcher” and laniere meaning “to tear” or “to pull to pieces.” Somewhat fittingly then, a group of shrikes is collectively known as an “abattoir.” (The English common name of “shrike” is actually an onomatopoeia for one of its calls.)
Above: Comparison of Loggerhead Shrike near Pipestone, MB, June 3, 2018 (left) with Northern Shrike in southwest Winnipeg, MB, December 7, 2013 (right). Note the thinner black mask, faint chest barring, white above the mask and eye, and longer tail of the Northern Shrike. (Note also the impaled caterpillar on barbed wire – left.) Photos by Katharine Schulz.
How do I recognize it?
The adult Northern Shrike has grey plumage, with black and white on the wings and tail, similar in pattern to a Loggerhead, but with a narrower black mask that typically does not join across the top of the bill, and there is reduced black in the lores (between the eyes and bill), with usually a small white area below the eye, along with a white supercilium above the mask, especially behind the eye. The bill is longer with a more prominent hook than that of a Loggerhead, and the Northern Shrike has a longer tail. Most Northern Shrike have a contrasting white rump, noticeable in flight, although this is not diagnostic. As with the Loggerhead, the tail is edged in white and the wings exhibit a noticeable white flash in flight.
Above: Northern Shrike in flight. Note the white patch at the base of the primaries, now prominently visible in the open wing, and the progressively broader white tips of the outer tail feathers. Photo by Christian Artuso.
The adult Northern Shrike is paler below, with faint, fine gray barring, and may almost appear clear-breasted at a distance, while first winter birds show distinct barring through to spring. In addition to stronger breast-barring, juveniles and immature Northern Shrike are more brownish in coloration, with a fainter mask and a pale base to the bill, often extending to the upper mandible. The bill becomes entirely black in spring. Both male and female are alike in all plumages (although a “blackish” mask versus black, slightly duller black in the wings and hints of brown tinges are sometimes considered indicative of a female.)
Above: Northern Shrike immature in first winter in southwest Winnipeg, MB on October 15, 2013. Note the brownish coloration, much fainter mask and distinct barring on the chest. Note also the characteristic feet of a songbird, unlike the talons of a raptor. Photo by Katharine Schulz.
In terms of behaviour, Northern Shrikes typically choose a prominent, exposed lookout perch near the top of a tree when hunting, and upon spying prey, they swoop down upon it. They usually maintain level and slightly undulating flight between perches, and upon perching, they often repeatedly flick their tails upwards. They will also hunt by hovering over open terrain, or by flying low and/or hovering near bushes, startling and flushing birds with their white wing flash. Aerial capture of flying insects is performed and the Northern Shrike will also directly pursue and capture some birds in flight, up to the size of an American Robin. It further has the patience and ability to spot motionless birds, defensively “frozen” on branches, and to capture them before they move.
Above: Northern Shrike attacking and subduing a European Starling, a similar bird in terms of size and weight, on the wintering grounds. Photos by Christian Artuso.
Does it migrate?
The Northern Shrike is considered a short to medium distance migrant, but its migration is poorly understood and movement away from breeding grounds varies greatly in distance and timing. It is not known to reside on year-round territories, although some individuals may remain within the subarctic breeding range during winter. Most seem to migrate southward into southern Canada and the northern and sometimes central U.S., occupying constant winter territories, while others may move around as dictated by prey availability and winter weather. Movements show an irruptive pattern, with larger numbers appearing south in some winters, occasionally far south of the usual winter range.
Northern Shrikes appear to migrate during the day, and they move singly or in small groups, probably following major waterway valleys out of boreal forest into open country of prairies and farmland.
Fall arrival in southern Manitoba can begin in early to mid-October, increasing into November and early December, but it sometimes seems they are less apparent after that until March, suggesting that many birds seen here may be migrants that winter further south, while only a few actually overwinter here. As well, wintering immatures may wander more than adults and be less likely to establish territories. Regardless, they have usually all vacated southern Manitoba by mid-April.
Where does it live?
The Northern Shrike has an extensive boreal distribution in its breeding range across much of northern North America and northeastern Asia. In Manitoba, this includes the northern two-thirds of the Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains, and the Arctic Plains and Mountains regions. However, possible breeding records during the Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas suggest that it may sporadically nest south of the Hudson Bay Lowlands.
In Manitoba, its northern limits are approximately defined by the treeline-tundra transition and the northern distribution of alder swales and shrubby willows of 1-2 m in height. They avoid open tundra that lacks bushes, and at their southern limits, they avoid dense conifer stands, instead preferring areas wherever boreal forest has been opened by fire or logging, or by lakes, rivers and muskegs.
Upon returning to the breeding area in spring, nesting begins almost immediately, before deciduous trees and shrubs leaf out. After initial site selection by the male, the female does most of the actual construction, while the male assists in bringing nesting material. The bulky, open cup nest is very deep for a bird of its size, set in shrubs or trees usually at about 2-3 m, and lined with ptarmigan feathers, animal hair and other insulating material such as dried moss and cottony seedheads of sedges.
They are single brooded but will renest if the first nest is lost. The clutch size varies from 4-9 grayish or greenish white, ovate eggs, usually heavily blotched or spotted over the entire surface. Only the female incubates and has a brood patch, while the male mostly feeds the female on the nest. Interestingly, the nest is so deep that the female is almost completely out of view, with only the tip of the tail visible. The eggs are incubated for approximately 17-21 days, and the hatchlings are brooded for about 10 days, possibly longer, depending on the weather. The nestlings usually reside in the nest for 18-20 days, remaining with the parents for 30 days or more after fledging.
Above: Northern Shrike juveniles on the breeding grounds in northern Manitoba. Photos by Christian Artuso.
The Northern Shrike diet varies by season, with primarily insects, larvae and spiders during the brief summer, and songbirds and small mammals taken during most of the year and particularly in winter. It is opportunistic and will also feed on carrion. As with true raptors, shrikes must also form and egest pellets of indigestible material. However, the Northern Shrikes lacks a crop and has a small-capacity gizzard, so this occurs several times daily, usually within an hour of eating.
Where can I see it?
Given that the Northern Shrike in Manitoba breeds in the far north (for example, York Factory, Churchill, Nelson River, Caribou River, DuBochet Lake etc.), the best opportunities for observation, often by chance, occur during the fall and winter in southern Manitoba, where it is considered an uncommon transient and winter visitor, usually between mid-October and mid-April. It is generally solitary and wary, and likely to be seen perched at the top of a tree, watching for prey.
Above: Northern Shrike perched characteristically at the top of a tree at Hecla, MB on November 9, 2024. Photo by Rudolf Koes.
Wintering shrikes favour habitats with some similarities to the semi-open landscapes of their breeding grounds, so keep an eye out for them where open areas are interspersed with shrubs, shelterbelts, hedgerows or patches of trees that may serve as lookout posts. They may suddenly appear and take advantage of birds and small mammals (voles and mice) that are attracted to rural and suburban backyard feeders, and they have even been known to feed on suet put out for woodpeckers.
Above: Immature first winter Northern Shrike about to strike a small bird in a suburban backyard in southwest Winnipeg, MB on October 15, 2013. Photo by Katharine Schulz.
Conservation Status.
The Northern Shrike was formerly lumped with the Great Gray Shrike (Lanius excubitor) of Europe until it was designated a separate species (Lanius borealis) in the AOU (American Ornithologists Union) update in 2017.
As with many northern and thus often less-studied species, the population trends and dynamics of the Northern Shrike are difficult to assess. As a species, it is naturally sparsely and irregularly distributed over a vast and mostly remote range so its population status is poorly understood. Globally, it is assessed by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List as Least Concern. Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to reach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (over 30% decline over ten years or three generations).
As the Northern Shrike breeds mostly north of areas covered by the Breeding Bird Survey, Christmas Bird Count data becomes more relied upon in coverage of at least a portion of the winter range. According to the 2024 State of Canada’s Birds report, there has been a steady decline since the early 1970’s representing a cumulative loss of 32%. Currently it is estimated that Canada has approximately 35,000 Northern Shrike, representing 19% of the global population. This increases to 29% when including those breeding in Alaska and passing to or through Canada during winter migration. Although the population trend data shows it continuing to decline, the Northern Shrike is not listed federally in Canada or provincially in Manitoba, (although federally in the Bird Conservation Strategies for the northern Bird Conservation Regions, it is included as a priority species with a population objective of “Assess/Maintain.”)
Within Manitoba, according to the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Manitoba, observations of the Northern Shrike have decreased considerably from numbers recorded in the 1980’s, but the reasons are not clear. It is likely subject to some of the similar impacts as other birds with regard to loss or degradation of habitat, both on the northern nesting grounds (mining, hydroelectric projects, timber harvest, forest fires) and on the wintering grounds, with agricultural practices and other land uses that eliminate brushy areas or reduce rodent populations, thus reducing their number of suitable wintering territories. Habitat alteration as a result of climate change is also likely to have an impact as the timberline shifts.
Did you know?
Both male and female Northern Shrikes sing throughout the year – infrequently in late fall to mid-winter and most frequently, especially the male, in late winter to spring and up to the laying period. Their songs consists of both musical notes, including trills, warbles and whistles, interrupted by harsh notes of chatters and screeches, and they sometimes include imitations of the songs and calls of other species (although it is considered less precise than true mimicry).
Finally, an odd historical note, according to the Audubon on-line field guide: “In the 1870s, when the House Sparrow from Europe had just been introduced here, a warden was hired to shoot Northern Shrikes on the Boston Commons in winter to protect the sparrows! Although the warden killed as many as 50 shrikes one winter, this episode probably had little effect on the total population of the species.” (https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-shrike Accessed January 27, 2026.)
Northern Shrike in southwest Winnipeg, December 7, 2013, giving the focused stare that strikes fear in the heart of birds and small mammals. Photo by Katharine Schulz.
Written by Katharine Schulz, February 8, 2026.
References
Artuso, C. 2018. Northern Shrike in Artuso, C., A. R. Couturier, K. D. De Smet, R. F. Koes, D. Lepage, J. McCracken, R. D. Mooi, and P. Taylor (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Manitoba, 2010-2014. Bird Studies Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba. http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=NSHR&lang=en Accessed January 24, 2026.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2025. All About Birds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. https://www.allaboutbirds.org Accessed on January 24, 2026.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada. 2024. The State of Canada’s Birds – Northern Shrike. Data accessed from NatureCounts, Birds Canada. https://doi.org/10.71842/t5vt-qv68 Accessed February 8, 2026.
McNicholl, M.K. in The Birds of Manitoba Ed. Peter Taylor, 2003. Manitoba Avian Research Committee, Manitoba Naturalists Society, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
National Audubon Society. Northern Shrike in Audubon Guide to North American Birds. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-shrike Accessed January 27, 2026.
Paruk, J. D., T. J. Cade, E. C. Atkinson, P. Pyle, and M. A. Patten. 2020. Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.norshr4.01 Accessed January 24, 2026.
Pittaway, R. and M. King, Loggerhead and Northern Shrike ID. 2014. Ontario Field Ornithologists. http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/articles.shrikeid Accessed January 24, 2026.
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA.