Urban Shrikes

Northern Shrikes are notorious for their bold wintertime incursions into cities, but not until I moved to Tucson did I discover that Loggerhead Shrikes, too, can tolerate traffic and noise in their fearless search for small prey.

A few years ago we had one that would show up regularly in the mornings and perch, ever hopeful, atop the bird feeders waiting for a careless House Finch; we wished our dapper pirate well, but couldn’t help wondering whether he might not have better luck lurking just a bit farther away and giving the birds a chance to come in!

And now all this winter there’s been a shrike at the busy corner of River and Alvernon, perching blithely on the paloverdes, mesquites, and fences as the cars zip by. It’s a risky habitat for a shrike–the species is among the most frequent roadkills in areas where it is still common–but the bird certainly brightens my commute.