ILLINOIS BIRDS: Laniidae Biological Notes No

ILLINOIS BIRDS: Laniidae Biological Notes No. 83 RICHARD R. GRABER · JEAN W . GRABER · ETHELYN L. KIRK

ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY Urbana, Illinois - June, 1973

State of Illinois Department of Registration and Education

NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION CHRISTMAS COUNTS ( Illinois Stations)

~ -----• ---- ··--· i ~T- -\I-~ . ,o o•::-1rn,"'" '°":• ""t I ~ I i.·•" '). '" CENSUSES MADE DURING ~-1 PERIOD: --"':: :-0 ~/~T --1t4r: A-~1 ,,,--,J., ----- I,, t..\ , 0"1; .....• • 1900-1924 w""'."J"'"'l '' ' I Jr , A 1925-1949 ~, ~I ---;- --. -··r: " "".--1"'I l.1.- -jfflr J /rr WOC . : e u 11 L ~ ! Lii s~u,t I ___. - .1950- • ---· - .,.. , ·---c;R1,,Wv ""L o"*"~_, ~ More than STAR,(, _~,"---,L·: ~L one period ~ ""''""' , T ? O l LVI NGSTON II ~. I O,t-J lI I( N JI ;, I :::'.."'l / /w""'; - 1"0", ~oa,oo: f -- \ ___ JI ,ooouoll i :_i _. 1..., _,J '-; ~ i ,o,o ~ --: I 0 • A Y-,mwtcc , " ~ ' ' " i ·-~ · I ""'oc\ 'h: ] . ,u~I ~~tTD;~~;~.-,. -{:,.: ,r /,~·3) ; --1.:c1w,, .. -:._,_,.,,---.~i_.. 0 'i:.:,L~ ,.1 ,i! 1 tT ~,,., I,,~.-< , , , \~~'-,J "''f" JI~ · 4-:it . I -f;_--1 "~ /'"'·..--~- .-- --m·ooucL._S ' •- - f"'N~"'o~ I ri ·-·:;i [00,t,R -WJ -._"o"" L., .... ~· "~'lj i I, ' ' ' ' \ scon--' I --·- -- -1- -1 • '""" I "l,, '"\__I r .\ ..,> -c o L t s · I L SH . [JY I ~~,I I wo-,,o--""' ,' '' "'"_.1."I . _ 1 JA.SPER I r.o..'l'.Cn'/ E '. """"'"j CAAwroRO !"'..- ~. ---·.. "• I:,.1...- ) - -~[_.....,._J_ \ ~ -,Il.,--- _j I . c L ...... y y'AIC~NOI U.WA[NC J--·;1-: ON l - ~ - .!_ ''" :__ :,..11 ~- -1 ~~ / ',· .-STCLAIR1 I~ r-\- I WAYN[ \1 f ~... ~ [ w"""o'o" .,,maso, I -1t .1 "0"'~'1-f,--J• J 7f ",) , _.,.--' .· • I P[ltftT )-)' J $" I WH I [ ' R.l,OOL )-___. ffl,tNJI.LIN ! .t'... L _ _i....._-t . ,. C,·a '&'o'! I SALIN[ IO~LLATIN

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~C.31.? 10 o 10 ~o :?) ,.:i $0:v:.i.is -~0~1.-\. E=c:iL.-···,:c-1-·1--c-~ [:~-Y~'\. ~~'\( Fig. 1. - Localities in which Audubon Society Christmas counts have been made, and from which data have been used for our reports on I llinois birds. Locali ties which touch Illinois or its natural boundaries have been included. ILLINOIS BIRDS: Laniidae

Richard R. Graber, Jean W. Graber, and Ethelyn L. Kirk

HIS PAPER ON THE SHRIKES of Illinois is the sum of all central Illinois counts, beginning in 1902, the fourth in a series intended to summarize the did not comprise 600 hours of observation time until the availableT knowledge on birds of Illinois. The basic goals, count was in its fourth decade, until about 1935, we can procedures, and policies of the project were outlined in see the serious limitations of the count for studies of long- the introduction to the first paper (Graber et al. 1970). term population changes, particularly for relatively un- In the introductions to subsequent papers we have con- common species. No calculations, either of frequency of sidered in more detail various problems in the interpreta- occurrence or population density, can have meaning based tion and presentation of data on Illinois birds. on such incomplete coverage. Much of the information presented comes from the Besides their poor coverage, the early counts were literature. Data from this source are so widely dispersed also short on important collateral data, such as mileage through the thousands of papers published in the past traveled, habitats covered, and weather information. An- century that they are essentially lost to most students of other drawback of the counts, pointed up particularly birds. We estimate that our bibliography on Illinois birds well by the shrike data, is the problem of inaccurate is more than 85 percent complete. The literature avail- identifications. Our analysis (see under species account able to us is primarily that in the collective libraries of of the northern shrike) indicates that the two Illinois the University of Illinois, including the Illinois Natural shrike species have sometimes been confused by students, History Survey Library, but we are also making use of though not necessarily more so on the Christmas counts interlibrary loans to fill in the gaps. The search for pub- than generally in winter. lished reports continues, and we add worthwhile papers, In important ways the counts have improved in re- both old and new, to the bibliography each year. For each cent decades - more complete coverage, more complete family account we try to have the literature coverage station data, and better informed participants in the current to the time our manuscript is submitted, i.e. usu- counts. Thus, in presenting data from the Christmas ally within a year of the date of publication. An inherent counts we tend to emphasize the information for more danger of a definitive project of this sort is that students recent decades, especially since 1940. In general, we have will be overly trusting of our coverage of the literature. accepted species identifications as given except for in- We urge all students who use the papers to weigh our stances where the data differ markedly from our personal summary of the literature against their own knowledge observations. of Illinois birds and the pertinent literature. Corrections In our graphs on the occurrence of shrikes in the of any errors, whether of omission or commission, should Christmas counts we have plotted data as the number either be published separately, or brought to our attention. of birds seen per 100 party hours of observation ( a "party For a number of species of birds, including the shrikes, hour" can be defined as an hour of observation time by the only semblance of winter population data available a group of observers, considered as a single observer) . for Illinois are those from the National Audubon Society's We used hours as the measure of censusing instead of annual Christmas counts which were started in 1900. We miles traveled, despite the fact that mileage shows better have used data from all of the Illinois census stations and correlation with numbers of shrikes seen ( r = .617) than those which touch Illinois or its natural boundaries (Fig. do the hour data ( r = .415). We adopted this course 1) , including data published in the (Illinois) Audubon only because some census takers still do not provide Bulletin and Iowa Bird Life. We have tried various kinds mileage data. of analyses on the Christmas count data, such as calcu- It is a pleasure to acknowledge James and Loraine lations of frequency of occurrence by census, by year and Funk of Liberty, Thomas May of Lenzburg, and Michael by decade, and calculations of numbers of birds per cen- Morrison of Sparta for providing valuable information sus, per hour of observation, and per mile traveled. used in this report. Our colleagues William L. Anderson, The limitations in treatment of the Christmas count Ronald Labisky, and James Seets of the Survey made information are dictated by the rough and incomplete particularly important contributions in the form of field nature of the raw field data. In the case of shrikes, for data and specimens. We are also especially indebted to example, it can be shown that, on the average, more than Milton W. Sanderson, of the Survey's Faunistic Section, 600 hours of observation and 8,000 miles of travel have who patiently identified numerous fragments of insects been required for a party of observers to see a northern from the stomachs of shrike specimens. John Unzicker shrike in central Illinois in winter. When we consider that and Wallace LaBerge identified spiders and Hymenoptera specimens for us, and James Appleby and George Godfrey This paper, in the biological notes series, is published in part with private funds. Dr. Richard R. Graber and Dr. Jean W. Graber are Wildlife identified the corn borer larvae. Staff members of the Specialists in the Section of Wildlife Research of the Illinois Natural History Survey's Wildlife Research Office and Editorial Office Survey. The late Miss Ethelyn Kirk served as Technical Assistant in the Section of Wildlife Research at the Survey. provided characteristically fine help in the preparation

3 and editing of the manuscript, and the preparation of timing of migration of the loggerhead shrike. He ob- figures and photographs. served what was apparently diurnal migration - a soli- tary shrike flying north, out of sight, at 11 : 00 AM on March 14 (Cooke & Widmann 1884). Seemingly con- LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (Lanius ludovicianusJ trary, but not necessarily so, was Widmann's ( 1922) (Fig. 2 and 3) observation of strong zugunruhe (migration restlessness) in a captive shrike every night in October, starting about Spring Migration 9: 00 PM. Was this behavior indicative of nocturnal Two interesting observations by Otto Widmann of migration? St. Louis constitute the sum of knowledge on the die! Though loggerhead shrikes have been recorded in all

Fig. 2. - Loggerhead shrike at its nest ( Pope County).

4 curately known, and the absence of records in a number of counties (Fig. 5) may be more related to inadequate exploration than to an actual absence of shrikes. We are certain, however, based on extensive searches in the past few years, that most of the population in northern and central Illinois has disappeared since 1965. In this vast area there are probably only a few scattered pairs left. We found only one nest (Mercer County) between 1968 and 1972 after searching large areas of central and northern Illinois. What is left of the state population today is nearly all south of the latitude of Pike and Cumberland counties (Fig. 5).

Nesting Habitats and Populations Robertson ( 1942) recorded a shrike nest in oak- hickory forest, but this is exceptional habitat for the species. Most of the nests in Illinois have been recorded in roadside hedges in open country. Ridgway ( 1887) said the shrike liked open areas with thorn trees, such as the honey locust and wild crabapple. Most of the nests found in central and northern Illi- Ranges nois have been in osage orange. In the south, nest sites have been much more diversified, though red cedar, rose, [;IT:J]] BREEDING and osage orange seemed most favored (Table 1) . Ridg- ~WINTER way ( 1887), referring to the south, and Gates ( 1911) in central Illinois both mentioned the shrike as an or- chard bird. ( There are also numerous references in the literature <> JOO • IXI 100 100 to the nesting of shrikes in hedges, but there has been no Fig. 3. - General distribution of the loggerhead shrike. systematic study as to what truly constitutes shrike habitat, i.e., foraging as well as nesting habitat requirements. regions of the state in all seasons of the year, there is a Scattered young osage orange trees along the margins of detectable spring influx of shrikes, even in southern Illi- cultivated fields would seem to be loggerhead shrike nois, which has a notable winter population (Fig. 4). habitat in its simplest form, but just what and how much Cooke ( 1888) believed the shrike migration began as of such a combination the shrike uses is unknown. early as January 31 in the St. Louis area, though the There have been no measurements of shrike terri- bulk did not arrive until March 22. Our counts of shrikes tories in Illinois. for southern Illinois show a marked increase after Feb- Reports that the shrike population in northern and ruary 20, and a peak in late March (Fig. 4). central Illinois was declining began at least as early as Shrikes were extirpated in central and northern Illi- 1910 (Hess 1910, Eifrig 1919, Work 1933, DuMont 1947 nois before our censuses of the migration were made, but and 1947a, Mayfield 1949, Mumford 1960). The reason older references indicate a spring migration season similar consistently postulated for the decline was the elimination to that in the south. In central Illinois the earliest arrivals of hedgerows (Hess 1910, Eifrig 1937, Blocher 1933, Nice have been noted in mid- and late February (DuMont 1945, Mayfield 1949). Osage hedges became a prominent 1947, Musselman 1934-1935, 1938), with more pro- feature of the Illinois landscape after 1840, partly due to nounced influxes throughout March, and largest numbers the vigorous promotion of the plant as a living fence by after March 20 (Ekblaw & Ekblaw 1916, Ekblaw 1917, Jonathan Baldwin Turner (Harkin 1962). With the ad- Smith 1917). In the north, February records are excep- vent of barbed wire about 1880, removal of the hedges tional, and there is almost no indication of the migration began, and though there are still many fine osage hedges until March (Bartel & Reuss 1932, Gault 1901). Ford left in the state, they are rapidly being eliminated. There et al. ( 1934) calculated the average arrival date of the are no records to show what plants were used by nest- loggerhead shrike to the Chicago area to be March 18, ing shrikes before osage became so prominent, but there and Ferry ( 1908) noted that the species became common are many observations which show that shrikes definitely on March 23. adopted the new hedges for nesting ( op. cit.) . The effect of the osage promotion on the shrike popu- Distribution lation cannot be assessed for lack of shrike population The general distribution of the loggerhead shrike is data. Kennicott ( 1853-1854) called the loggerhead shrike shown in Fig. 3. The Illinois distribution was never ac- an abundant species in Illinois, but such a statement

5 cannot be interpreted numerically. Even in the 20th cen- one." This statement presumably referred to the Chicago tury when many observers felt that both the shrike popu- area, where, a few years later, Bartel ( 1942) recorded lation and the hedge population were declining, no one two shrikes on a 100-mile road transect made May 26, made meaningful measurements to show the change. The 1942. Near Springfield, Illinois a much higher count of earliest reference that could be called even roughly quan- shrikes was obtained in 1946 ( date not given) : 35 adult titative was Eifrig's ( 1937) statement: "Formerly a pair shrikes along a 24-mile stretch of highway (DuMont & [of shrikes] could be seen every two or three miles along Smith 1946). the road, now one may drive for days without seeing Despite numerous subjective references to a declining

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE 8.0

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5 \_ 1.0 .·.·.·.· .. ·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·, .::::t\\\\:tW:::~::t*::::::::::::* I I 12 24 12 24 12 24 12 24 12 24 12 24 FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL 6 shrike population in Illinois, no firm data were collected Illinois - a relatively slow decline since about 1900, until the 1950's. In 1957 Ronald F. Labisky of the Illinois probably related to the removal of hedges in many areas, Natural History Survey made a record of the number of nesting pairs of shrikes on the roadsides of a 36-square- mile area of agricultural land near Sibley, Illinois (Ford LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE and McLean counties). In succeeding years we continued BREEDING RECORDS the survey and witnessed a steady decline of the shrike

population until none were left in the area by 1966 (Fig. NESTS OR YOU NG 6). Our extensive searches elsewhere between 1966 and 1972 revealed that what had happened to the shrike pop- e 1950 - ulation in the Sibley area also happened over most of .A. 1900 - 1949 northern and central Illinois. Furthermore, the shrike population has declined in much of the Midwest (May- • BEFORE 1900 field 1949, Petersen 1965, Erdman 1970). Was this near extirpation related to the decline of PAIRS OR SINGING hedgerows? In 1958 we measured the roadside hedgerows of the 36-square-mile Sibley study area, and found 5.2 lin- 0 1950 - ear miles of hedge. With 10 pairs nesting in the area that year (Fig. 6), the density was 1.9 nests per mile of hedge. 6 1900 - 1949 By 1959 the hedge declined to 4.8 linear miles, and the number of nests to 8, or 1.7 per mile of hedge. We did O BEFORE 1900 not measure the hedges of the study area again until Largely Extirpated 1972, when there were still 3.7 miles of roadside hedge North of Line -._,: but no nesting shrikes. There were, in addition, at least by 1965 2.8 miles of hedges in the area which were not along roads. In view of the quantity of hedge still left in the area, the disappearance of the shrikes would seem to require some other explanation than just the reduction in hedges. Another change which occurred in the Sibley area during the period when shrikes disappeared was a marked reduction in the acreage of hayfields (William R. Edwards and G. Blair Joselyn, personal communica- tions). We have no data from which to evaluate the effect of this change on the shrike, but it may have been Scole important, depending upon the value of hayfields as 1't:-, _9 -~o... ,:-p_ __Jl =-.:f.:d:;~ M.ic , foraging habitat for shrikes. In summary, there apparently were two levels of Fig. 5. - Breeding records for the loggerhead shrike in Illi- change in the shrike population of northern and central nois. Singing male records are for May and June only.

Fig. 4. - (To left and below.) Egg laying and migration seasons of the loggerhead shrike in Illinois. Spring and fall graph lines show the highest daily count of each 3 days (left scale) in southern Illinois, 1967 and 1970. Asterisks represent counts made either in other years or by other observers. Shaded areas show the percent of eggs laid on a given date (right scale).

>-<( c 20 0:: SOUTH 1.1.1 Q. c IJ.J r- z 10 :::> 0 (.) 5 (/) c 0:: ID 12 24 12 24 12 24 AUG SEP OCT 7 TABLE 1. - Plants used by loggerhead shrikes as nest sites and a very rapid decline to near zero between 1957 and in Illinois. 1965 from causes unknown. It is possible, of course, that this change is temporary, but as of 1972 we have seen no Percent of Total Nests sign of recovery by the shrike population. Species North and South Central Nesting Cycle (89 Nests) (55 Nests) The song and call notes of the loggerhead shrike are Osage orange ( Madura pomifera). . 88 11 highly varied and interesting, with both sweet notes and Red cedar ( Juniperus virginiana) . .. . 20 (more often) harsh, guttural notes, both somewhat re- Rose ( Rosa multijlora and sp.) . . . 13 sembling those of the mockingbird (Ridgway 1889) . The Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) . ... . 9 shrike is not a persistent songster and its vocalizations are Japanese honeysuckle ( Lonicera japonica)...... 9 not as well known as those of other common species. We have seldom heard the song and have no data on the Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.)...... 3 5 Apple and crabapple ( Matus sp.). 7 seasonal periodicity of singing in this species. Cherry and plum ( Prunus serotina and Among Illinois songbirds, the loggerhead shrike is an ~.) ...... 2 4 early nester, but Strode's ( 1918) statement that nesting Grape (Vitis sp.)...... 6 ( in central Illinois) may begin in early March is not Elm (Ulmus sp.) ...... 5 literally true. Musselman (1937) observed completely Pear ( Pyrus communis) ...... 4 built shrike nests on March 20, 1936 in central Illinois, Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) .. . . 4 Oak (Quercus sp.) ...... 2 and even this is probably early for the region. Cooke Greenbrier (Smilax sp.) ...... 2 ( 1888) believed that shrikes began mating in the St. Virginia creeper ( Parthenocissus Louis area the day after they arrived (March 22) from quinquefolia)...... 2 the wintering grounds. During Gault's ( unpublished Pine ( Pinus sp.) ...... 2 notes) many years of observation in northeastern Illinois Box-elder (Acer negundo) ...... 2 the earliest date on which he recorded a completed nest Poplar (Populus sp.) ...... was April 8, while April 16- 21 were more typical dates for this stage in the nesting cycle. The earliest laying dates recorded are March 24 for southern Illinois, April 3 for the central region, and April • 15 for the north. The peak in egg production comes in 12 early April in southern Illinois, and in the latter half of April in central Illinois (Fig. 4). There are no compa- rable data for northern Illinois. ~ IOi The nests are superficially like thrasher nests, being ::.::: • coarse, bulky structures made of sticks, weed stems, and ii: :x: grass. However, shrike nests are almost always very (/) warmly lined with feathers or fur, or both (Fig. 7, ~ Si Nehrling 1881, Blocher 1933). There are few records (/) to indicate the time requirement for nest construction er • by loggerhead shrikes. Gault (unpublished notes, 1902) ~ observed a nest under construction and/ or waiting for ~ 6 eggs 11 days in northern Illinois, and in southern Illinois j:: we have recorded nest-building periods of at least 5 days (/) w i and 7 days, both nests having been partly completed when z • LL found. Five nests in central and southern Illinois had O 4 incubation periods of 17 days, and the nestling life at (/) er two nests in southern Illinois was 16 and 17 clays. Thus, w m the time requirement for one nesting cycle for a nest with ~ six eggs is about 45 days. ~ 2i Eaton's (1878) statement that the loggerhead shrike • rears two broods (northern Illinois) is not borne out by our egg-laying data, at least for the population as a whole. Double-broodedness, if it occurs, is the exception rather than the rule in Illinois. 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 Most shrike nests in Illinois receive clutches of six Fig. 6. - Number of pairs of shrikes found nesting on a 36-square mile agricultural area in Ford and McLean counties eggs, though clutches of seven eggs and five eggs are not (east-central Illinois), 1957-1966. Nearly all nests were in uncommon (Table 2, Strode 1918, Hess 1910). In Lee osage orange hedges. County Blocher (1933a) found the usual clutch to be five

8 Fig. 7. - Loggerhead shrike nest with eggs in osage orange near Bondville, Illinois, June 17, 1907. Photo by Alfred 0. Gross. eggs. The old oological records show a higher percentage central Illinois between 1958 and 1964, nesting success of of five-egg clutches in the north than in central and shrikes in osage hedges was 71 percent (62 percent for southern Illinois, yet they indicated that even in the eggs) in a sample of 25 nests. Thrashers in the same north the most frequent clutch size was six eggs. There hedges had nesting success that varied annually from 34 are no recent data for the north. to 38 percent of the eggs. Nests of thrashers and other The loggerhead shrike has a notably high level of species less fierce than shrikes perhaps aid shrike nests nesting success for a songbird. A sample of 20 nests in by absorbing most of the predation. The causes of failure roadside hedges ( red cedar, rose, sassafras, honeysuckle) of shrike nests are apparently unknown. We have never of southeastern Illinois in 1967 had a success rate ( com- witnessed nest predation, and there is no reference on puted by the exposure day method, Mayfield 1961) of the subject in the Illinois literature. There are no data 80 percent (65 percent for eggs). By comparison, brown on the care of the young or duration of parental care. thrashers nesting in the same hedges had a success rate Young shrikes often remain in or near the nest tree for of only 42 percent of eggs (Graber et al. 1970). In east- several days after fledging. Successful nests produced an average of 4.8 young per nest in central Illinois and 4.6

TABLE 2. - Clutch sizes of loggerhead shrikes in Illinois. per nest in the south. Based on nesting successes of 71 percent and 80 percent, respectively, productivity at this Number Average Percent of Nests by Clutch Size stage is about 3 to 4 young per breeding pair, yet the fall Region populations are not particularly high (Fig. 4). ofNests Clutch 7 Eggs 6 Eggs 5 Eggs 4 Eggs 3 Eggs

North" 37 5.9 24 41 35 0 0 Central 72 5.6 10 54 26 8 1 Fall Migration South 25 5.7 4 68 24 4 0 The loggerhead shrike populations of northern and n The data for northern Illinois are mainly old museum records central Illinois had virtually disappeared 2 years before (around 1900 or before). The central and southern Illinois data are more recent, mainly since 1957. we started our censuses of the migration, and our seasonal

9 counts for those regions were negligible - not more than LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE five birds seen per year. Winter Records Blocher (1933, 1933a) noted that shrikes were diffi- Dec. 1 - Feb. 1 cult to find after midsummer, and he put the fall departure before September. Others in northern Illinois /i;:·-··--i---i _T _____ --· ~"""'L"'""'"__ "' I"'" ""J....o, I ~, iI ....'j.\ ! '"'~ made similar observations. In the period 1914- 1917, in- e 1950 - ,~·~· 11,----:.::i-1'·-1.·1 ---,-'.,!\ ... clusive, Schafer's ( 1917-1918) "last seen" dates for the 0 ~ " l loggerhead shrike varied from June 20 to August 16. In .A 1900 - 1949 -~i--,-f_ I I u•• \1 1 ' •·"~( ' ' ' -:" U", c)L!~1 many years of observation in DuPage County, Benjamin L __ _ _]--; I ~ ',. • BEFORE 1900 T------1 /'""" ~ , Gault (190la and unpublished notes) had very few late ~..------,i H { " RY I: ' ""' -• _,I L• SA . <.tIt· _./ W I l \_-jl summer records for the shrike and his latest record for -i_ £(..; ·,,. - -:"'•'e , -j "°~ )_ ~ u•u•j<"-: fall departure of the species was September 1. Ford et al. , " '""" .1 1 1,, 0 _L __j ( 1934) gives an average departure date from the Chicago ; [···.. ,I 0 '"'""'" ,T l : f l- ·1" "'" ="·''° I I l~ area of September 18, and Oberholser ( 1918) gives Oc- ~- -l, )-1 f ---l J •ooo=• : 1 · .-1 I I ..... ~J ,... ,oo .. oua .. , fl.H.TON HH W[ll r~1' r·F ORD L tober 3 for the average departure. ·-~•, ·• ;5 •. '"" f--.-T7" Late fall or winter departure dates may be misinter- __ J:\=-i ..... ,--i.-r:·---rl) I \ I f-'~"" /-. _r--r"l-''~"' I •;.:::,.' { ' , ) 1, ..... f/.,,,..4,'" i' ----i-- - preted on two accounts: (1) because loggerhead shrikes '°""' I J , ~I ":'"":'J. - A lu.I 1'.-\-,1 LM- _:__ '.__'.__! 3,,1 • c_ ,J ~ . may occur in the north (rarely) even in winter, and (2) • _J - ' • • - ----1 - '·- · ... ~ / ,::, f--j 1'-~:.-t : in late fall and winter there is a real possibility of mis- .. I ... ( co, r'] r' Lr-· c.. ,P,L' -~ (00.,.lt I --'------< "'"""" 't · ,·11 I identification of shrikes because incoming northern shrikes .GR llN( I I I ~~ .O I.[$ ' 1, ,1 L--r-' '"." are very similar in appearance to loggerheads (Fig. 2 ' ~~N ... ONTG,O ... ' I "~lqLANOI CLA. JUISO I /! -1- and 11). Late departure dates of October 12, November ... ( auhc l ( rflN(;>< A... J JASP(II l BOhO J / L -- _L • lc1U.wro110· 1, November 11, and November 13 have been recorded ···~, _,;,t--~ '~~· -', for the loggerhead shrike in northern Illinois (Ford et al. t-1-t;',_.,,, I •••I I -._•,1u-"" 1934, Woodruff 1907, Oberholser 1918, Bent 1950), and " ""'" r.::i' • i.-. ~. ~ WASHIN310 tl .-1 ..... ' ; November 9 has been recorded for the central region -·~ .~"-' """1-:;i- ~ §_, r-.! ,, (Musselman 1930). . ..,,.tt r-;;_• • ( I ~..,. I WH7IJI( Apparently the fall migration of this species has never -, '",:=_J.:.;1 ~ ··-.,.. 1·•· ,.. u,. been witnessed, and we can only guess as to when the . ---1-··-:-.- ·1-,', I southward flights begin. In southern Illinois our counts ...~ ~E~;t·····~ showed a marked increase about the first of August and !::c:i '

10 ( 1951-1971) when mileage data were also provided, ob- of central Illinois, but better census data are needed to servers saw one loggerhead per 40 party miles traveled confirm this. in southern Illinois, one per 260 miles in central Illinois, and one per 3,000 miles in the northern region (for re- Food Habits gions see Fig. 8) . The marked fluctuations in winter The impaling of prey items in thorn trees, or on populations of the loggerhead shrike (Fig. 9) remain to barbed wire fences is a well-known habit of shrikes. We be explained. Musselman ( 1939) suggested that more once observed a shrike impaling dead birds, small mi- · shrikes remained in Adams County in "mild years," but grants killed in September at a TV tower, on a nearby we know of no objective studies on the relationship of barbed wire fence. The use and function of the food shrike populations to climate. The sharp decline of the cache is not fully known or understood (Ridgway 1889). northern and central Illinois breeding population of Depending on the source of information, we obtain shrikes is not observable in the winter population figures, two quite different pictures of the shrike's food habits in and this observation implies that the winter population Illinois. may be different from the breeding population. We have Direct field observations of foraging shrikes and of noted that extreme west-central Illinois seems to have shrike food caches in all regions of the state have indi- higher winter populations of loggerheads than other areas cated that the loggerhead shrike is primarily predaceous

V) ~ :::, ~ 25 .,_>- ~ ~ 0 20 0

~ w a.. o 15 .,_w z :::, 0 u 10 V) w ~ ~ \CENTRAL I V) 5 0 ',J,I \.-...... j ""\ 4: / I\ w 2 I ' / \ I ~ r \ w 1.0 \ ", I -- c., \ ' I 0.5 \ g__, 'J " 0 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 Fig. 9. - Annual variation in winter populations of the loggerhead shrike, based on Audubon Christmas counts in three regions of the state. Graph lines show the number of loggerheads seen per 100 party hours.

11 on vertebrates, with small mammals (probably mainly Examination of the stomachs of a number of shrikes Microtus and Peromyscus) predominating (Nearing 1961 , ( 62 adults and 9 stub-tailed juveniles) collected in south- Smith 1921 , Breemfield 1921, Strode 1918). Songbirds ern Illinois indicates food habits different from the above have also been considered important prey. House spar- (Table 3). The stomachs did contain numbers of grass- rows (Passer domesticus) have been most often men- hoppers (Acrididae), as expected from the field observa- tioned, but also juncos (Junco hyemalis), vesper sparrow tions, but more dominant food items were ground beetles (Pooecetes gramineus), Henslow's sparrow (Passerher- ( Carabidae) and caterpillars, with vertebrates being bulus henslowii), field sparrow ( S pizella pusilla), blue- much less frequent (Table 3). Many of the ground bird (Sialia sialis), horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), beetles were small, which suggests that shrikes forage a and downy woodpecker (Dendrocopos pubescens) (Far- lot on the ground. Many of the caterpillars were Euro- well 1919, Miller 1935, Strumberg 1883, Vandercook pean corn borers ( Ostrinia nubilalis) which overwinter 1921, Schafer 1921, and Woodruff 1897). Snakes, par- in cornstalks. How the shrikes get these insects is not ticularly garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis), and small known. There was no marked difference in adult and frogs are frequently found in the food caches (Nearing juvenile stomach contents. Though there are some inter- 1961, Woodruff 1897 ), and the most commonly men- esting seasonal variations, e.g. the increased consumption tioned invertebrate in the caches are short-horned grass- of grasshoppers and Hymenoptera in late summer and hoppers (Vandercook 1921, Vestal 1913, Ridgway 1889). fall, the consistent quality of the diet is even more im- We have seen a number of summer food caches in south- pressive than the variations. Is the loggerhead shrike ern Illinois which consisted of only one or two items, more dependent upon beetles and caterpillars than upon always including either a vole (Microtus) or a house spar- vertebrate prey for sustenance? From the present data row or both. One cache which we found on a barbed wire we cannot say, and more systematic studies are required. fence in late April in Johnson County, however, contained The food data do indicate the versatility of shrikes in a bird skull (Passer?), three small frogs (Acris crepitans), foraging. Cleland ( 1922) and Breemfield ( 1921) observed a small garter snake (Thamnophis), two beetles (Scar- shrikes catching prey by following farmers discing their abaeidae), and a moth, plus four regurgitated pellets, one fields. In describing predation by shrikes on house spar- of which we saw a shrike pin on the fence along with the rows, Larsen ( 1897) observed that the shrike relentlessly other items. chased a sparrow until it tired. In catching grasshoppers,

TABLE 3.-Stomach contents of loggerhead shrikes collected in southern Illinois, 1971-1972.

January April July September-October Percent Fre- Percent Fre- Percent Fre- Percent Fre- Percent Percent Percent Percent Food Item quency of quency of quency of quency of of all of all of all of all Occurrence Occurrence Occurrence Occurrence Items Items Items Items (10 spec.) (31 spec.) (20 spec.) (10 spec.)

Diplopoda 1.1 10 1.0 6 0.9 5 Insects (Unspecified) 2.2 10 Orthoptera (grasshoppers) 11. 2 40 5 .2 19 29.3 65 29.4 60 Hemiptera (stink bugs) 1 . 1 10 0.5 3 0.9 5 Coleoptera (unspecified) 6.7 20 3 .1 13 2.6 5 Carabidae (ground beetles) 18.0 60 51.1 84 25.0 65 14.7 40 Silphidae (carrion beetles) 2.6 5 Elateridae (wire worms) 0.5 3 Scarabaeidae { Anomala, dung beetles} 5.7 13 3 .4 15 Cerambycidae ( Megacyllene) 2.6 13 2.6 10 8.8 30 Curculionidae (snout beetles) 2.2 20 Lepidoptera (caterpillars only) 46.1 70 22.3 45 9 .5 40 29.4 70 Hymenoptera (winged ants, wasps) 1 .0 3 21. 5 15 11.8 30 Arachnida (wolf spiders) 6.7 30 2.1 10 1. 7 10 Vertebrates Small birds 1.1 10 0.5 3 Small mammals ( Microtus, Peromyscus) 3.4 30 4.2 26 5.9 20 Plant material (twigs, grass) 10 5 Grit 5 ------Totals 99.8 99.8 100.0 100.0

12 and presumably other insects and mice, the shrike often excellent series of 75 specimens, including many known hovers a few feet above ground, then drops on its prey nesting birds in the Survey collection, helps to verify the (Vandercook 1921). Shrikes also drop on prey from an identification. Males appear more variable in color than elevated perch. females and about 20 percent of the males show some characters of the western form, but none are truly repre- sentative of excubitorides. Specimen Data We have examined only 14 winter specimens, all There are many references in the Illinois literature migrans. The possibility of a winter influx of western to the occurrence of "white-rumped" shrikes in the state shrikes exists, particularly to the western edge of the .!. (Larsen 1897, Ridgway 1878, Loucks 1891, Gault 1899, state, but identification of the western population depends Blocher 1934). The identification of the Illinois breeding on the collection of specimens. There are no consistent population was clarified by Ridgway ( 1889), and more size cliff erences between the sexes ( Table 4) . Winter fully by Miller ( 1931) who observed that though some specimens (in the hand, at least) can be sexed consis- Illinois specimens showed intergradation toward the tently on the basis of the gray vermiculations on the western race excubitorides, the Illinois population is breast of females, males being much more nearly immacu- properly allocated to Lanius ludovicianus migrans. An late on the breast (Fig. 10). Wear reduces the difference

TABLE 4. - Weights and measurements of loggerhead shrikes collected in southern Illinois, 1971-1972.

Number of Gross Weight (grams) Wing Chord (mm) Tail Length (mm) Age and Sex Months Specimens Range Mean Range Mean Range Mean

Adult male Jan. 4 54.2- 64.7 58.5 96.4- 99.4 97 .8 92.0- 96 .5 94.1 April 17 47.9- 57.9 53.0 92.7-101.8 98.7 88.6- 101.4 95.5 July 4 45.2-56.1 50.9 99.0-100.8 99.4 (badly worn) Sept.-Oct. 8 51. 9- 57. 3 54.4 (moulting) (moulting) Adult female Jan. 7 46.8- 57.0 53.5 93.8-102.2 97.8 90.1- 99.2 94.6 April 16 50.9- 74.3 61.1 93.3- 98.2 95.6 89.2- 99.5 93 .1 July 7 46.8- 55.0 50.9 91.2- 97.0 94.2 91.2- 97.0 94.2

Fig. 10. - Sexual dimorphism in winter specimens of loggerhead shrikes. Females (right side) show more vermiculations on breast. 13 considerably by April. July specimens are badly worn northern shrike and the loggerhead (Fig. 2 and 11), and some, including adults, show the beginning of the sight records of the northern species in Illinois are al- molt. The molt appears to be prolonged, as all September ways subject to question as, by the same token, are and early October specimens are still in heavy molt. winter records of the loggerhead in the northern half of the state. There is no way to determine the validity NORTHERN SHRIKE (Lanius excubitorJ of most of the published winter records of shrikes in (Fig. 11 and 12) northern Illinois, and discussion of the distribution (Fig. 13) is problematical. The two species are identifiable The northern shrike is primarily a winter visitant to with care, however, and we have generally accepted Illinois, and though there are numerous records for the shrike records ( as given) for northern Illinois as well species (Fig. 13) there are relatively few collected speci- as for central Illinois from observers with considerable mens. Because of the marked similarity between the field experience. On the other hand, we have found no

Fig. 11. - Northern shrike. This species is slightly larger and paler gray than the loggerhead, with less black on the forehead, a yellowish, vs. black, mandible, and a stronger bill. Most Illinois specimens have very faint vermiculations on the breast, but some plumages and populations of the northern shrike are more heavily vermiculated than the specimen shown.

14 NORTHERN SHRIKE Winter Records (mainly)

e 1950 -

A 1900- 1949

• BEFORE 1900

. -,.. .,,, is "\\, I __ • .... Rangef ____ _ --~:· , - BREEDING · + ' = Jf?"' S WINTER

O JOO 400 •oo 100

Scale Fig. 12. - North American distribution of the northern ILJd---·~ 32._ii'J:::::SCJM,leS shrike. The species is also widely distributed in the Old World. certain proof of the occurrence of the northern shrike Fig. 13. - Northern shrike records for Illinois. A number of published records, especially for southern Illinois, were un- in the southern Illinois area, despite the number of pub- acceptable, and not plotted. Most, but not all, of the records are lished reports to the contrary (Hurter 1884, Widmann for the cold months (November-February). 1907 and 1922, Comfort 1941, and Christmas counts for 1940, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1965). Hurter increased observer activity. Some observers state that ( 1884) implies the existence of a specimen taken in the there is a definite influx of northern shrikes in December St. Louis area, but we have not located it. In the absence (Nolan 1955, Petersen 1954) , and the Christmas peak of specimens, photographs, or other very carefully docu- may thus be more than just increased observer activity, mented records, we have discounted all reports of the i.e., related directly to the biology of the northern shrike. northern shrike for the southern half of Illinois (Fig. 13). Though the Christmas count data are crude, they The seasonal distribution of the northern shrike in comprise the only semblance of population data for the Illinois is just as problematical as the geographic distribu- northern shrike in Illinois (Fig. 15). Over the 73-year tion. Published records for the state run from October history of the Christmas count, observers in northern 12 to April 16 (Ferry 1907, Bartel & Reuss 1932). We Illinois have seen northern shrikes at the rate of about plotted most of the northern shrike records for Illinois one per 140 party hours of observation versus about 560 by date (Fig. 14), and found that the records were fairly hours per loggerhead shrike. In central Illinois the rate uniformly distributed from October 20 through March, was one northern shrike per 680 party hours, versus only except for three definite peaks - in late October, late 60 hours per loggerhead. For the more recent years March, and during the Christmas count period. The ( 1951-1970) when relatively complete mileage data were Christmas peak probably mainly reflects the increased in- provided for the counts, observers saw one northern terest and coverage of observers preparing for and/or shrike per 800 party miles traveled in northern Illinois, conducting censuses. The late October and March peaks and one per 8,000 miles in the central region. coincide suspiciously with the fall and spring migrations In recent decades northern shrikes have been re- of the loggerhead shrike in Illinois (Fig. 4 and 14) . It ported every year in northern Illinois, but only about is, of course, possible that these are periods of increased one year in three in the central region (Fig. 15). Even numbers for the northern shrike as well, or periods of in northern Illinois the population shows marked annual 15 r-- 100 0) I 0 OJ OJ 80 CHRISTMAS COUNT 0 { DATA w t- o:: 60 0 a.. w 0:: U) ll.J 4 ::.::: 0:: I U) z 20 0:: ll.J I t- * o:: * 0 z ~ 5 0 / \ *_*/ *"'*-*-* (/) I\ 0:: "" ...---- * * w / * *""" * / * --* CD o...... -.-~....-----.-~....-----.-~-r----.-~-r--r~.....--r~.....---r~.....-----r-~.....-----r-~.....-----r--- * '* ~ ::::, 10 20 31 10 20 30 10 20 31 10 20 31 10 20 28 10 20 31 10 20 z OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR Fig. 14. - Illinois records for the northern shrike plotted by date. T he asterisks represent the cumulative number of northern shrikes seen for each 10-day (approximate) interval - October 1- 10, 11-20, 21-31 - for the years 1880-1971 inclusive. The shaded area represents data from the Christmas counts.

*= Northern Shrike - Central

~ 3.]3.0 ::::, NORTHERN SHRIKE 0 Fig. 15. -Annual variation in I winter populations of the northern ;:: 2.0 and loggerhead shrikes, based on 0: Audubon Christmas counts in north- ~ ern and central Illinois. Graph lines 0 show the number of northern and 0 loggerhead shrikes seen per 100 : 1.5 party hours in northern Illinois. w Asterisks show northern shrike pop- a.. LOGGERHEAD ulations in central Illinois for years 0 SHRIKE when the species was recorded . w Zero counts, i.e. most years, were 1.0 not plotted for the central regions. ::::,z f1 0 u V) I I ~ 0.5 I I ~ I I I V) I 0 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970

16 variation, and we can see no consistent pattern to the FERRY, J. F. 1907. Ornithological conditions in northeastern Illinois, with notes on some winter birds. Auk 24 ( 2) : 121- variation (Fig. 15), i.e., peak invasions do not appear to 129. be predictable. Essentially nothing is known of the causes ----. 1908. The spring migration of 1907 in the vicinity of of northern shrike immigrations, or of the biology of the Chicago. Wilson Bulletin 20 ( 1) :27-40. species in Illinois. FoRD, E. R., C. C. SANBORN, and C. B. CouRSEN. 1934. Birds of the Chicago region. Chicago Academy of Sciences. Program All references to the food of the northern shrike in of Activities. 5 ( 2-3) : 17-76. Illinois concern only one type of prey, several species of GATES, F. C. 1911. Summer bird life in the vicinity of Havana, birds, most notably juncos and house sparrows ( Sanborn Illinois in its relation to the prominent plant associations. Wilson Bulletin 23 ( 1) : 1-27. 1921, Ekblaw 1920, Mayfield 1950, Gault unpublished GAULT, B. T. 1899. Early summer bird horizons from Milton notes 1898). Burtis Wilson's notes (up to 1904) on the Township, Du Page Co., Ill. Wilson Bulletin 11 (5) :65-72. Davenport, Iowa area related that northern shrikes had ----. 1901. February and March bird-life at Glen Ellyn (near Chicago), Illinois. Bird-Lore 3(1):26-27. frequently come into the city to catch sparrows in earlier ----. 1901a. August and September bird-life at Glen Ellyn years (pre-1900), but later were rarely seen (Hodges (near Chicago), Illinois. Bird-Lore 3 (5): 166-168. 1954). Northern shrikes have occasionally proved an- GRABER, R. R., J. W. GRABER, and E. L. KIRK. 1970. Illinois birds :Mimidae. Illinois Natural History Survey Biological noying to bird banders by entering their traps to kill Notes 68. 38 p. birds ( Sanborn 1921, 1922). Lyon ( 1930) often killed HARKIN, D. A. 1962. Jonathan Baldwin Turner: early advocate shrikes for this reason. Like loggerheads, northern shrikes of the osage orange hedge. Illinois Research 4 ( 3) : 19. have the habit of impaling their prey in thorn trees HESS, I. E. 1910. One hundred breeding birds of an Illinois ten- mile radius. Auk 27(1) :19-32. (Schafer 1921, Ferry 1907). HODGES, J. 1954. The Burtis H. Wilson Journals. Iowa Bird Life 24 ( 2) :34-38. HURTER, J. 1884. List of birds. Ornithologist and Oiilogist 9(7): LITERATURE CITED 85-86, 9 (8) :95-97. BARTEL, K. E. 1942. Metropolitan Chicago not popular for bird KENNICOTT, R. 1853-1854. Catalogue of animals observed in life. Audubon Bulletin 44:8. Cook County, Illinois. Illinois State Agricultural Society ----, and A. REUSS. 1932. Birds of Blue Island, Cook Co., Transactions 1 :577-595. Illinois. Oiilogist 49 ( 10) : 112-113. LARSEN, J. 1897. The white-rumped shrike in Chicago parks. BENT, A. C. 1950. Life histories of North American wagtails, Oiilogist 14(7) :74-75. shrikes, vireos, and their allies. U. S. National Museum Bul- LoucKs, W. E. 1891. List of birds found breeding in the vicinity letin 197: 1-400. of Peoria, Illinois. Oiilogist 8 ( 11) :224-226. BLOCHER, A. 1933. Changes. Oiilogist 50 (3) :42-43. LYON, W. I. 1930. The mid-winter survey. Waukegan, Lake Co. ----. 1933a. Adaption. Oiilogist 50(9) :119. Audubon Bulletin 20:31-32. ----. 1934. How our birds are doing here. Oologist 51 (10): MAYFIELD, H. 1949. Nesting season. Middlewestern prairie re- 124- 125. gion. Audubon Field Notes 3 (5) :237-238, 240. BREEMFIELD, F. 1921. [Untitled.] Audubon Bulletin, Spring, ----. 1950. Fall migration. Middlewestern prairie region. 1921 :23. Audubon Field Notes 4( 1): 17-19. CLELAND, MRs. 1922. Belvidere. Audubon Bulletin, Fall, 1922 : ----. 1961. Nesting success calculated from exposure. Wil- 32-33. son Bulletin 73 (3) :255-261. COMFORT, ]AMES E. 1941. Webster Groves Notes. Bluebird MILLER, A. H. 1931. Systematic revision and natural history of 8 ( 1) :5. the American shrikes (Lanius). University of California CooKE, W. W. 1888. Report on bird migration in the Mississippi Publications in Zoology 38(2) :11-242. Valley in the years 1884 and 1885. U.S. Department of Ag- MILLER, L. J. 1935. Illinois. Inland Bird Banding News 7(3): riculture (Division of Economic Ornithology) Bulletin 2: 1- 5-7. 313. MUMFORD, R. E. 1960. Nesting season. Middlewestern prairie ----, and 0. WIDMANN. 1884. Bird migration in the Mis- region. Audubon Field Notes 14(5) :452-454. sissippi Valley. American Field 21 ( 1) :9. MussELMAN, T. E. 1930. Report for central western Illinois. DuMoNT, P. A. 1947. Middlewestern region. Audubon Field Audubon Bulletin 20 :20-22. Notes 1 (4) :154-156. ----. 1934-1935. 1934 Nature diary. Audubon Bulletin ----. 1947a. Middlewestern region. Audubon Field Notes 24-25 :27-35. 1(5):177-179. ----. 1937. 1936 Nature diary. Audubon Bulletin 27 :36-44. ----, and E. T. SMITH. 1946. Nesting season. Middlewest- ----. 1938. Quincy bird calendar for 1937. Audubon Bul- ern prairie region. Audubon Magazine 48(5) :123-124 (sup- letin 28 :27-3 1. plement). ----. 1939. Bird notes at Quincy, 1938. Audubon Bulletin EATON, D. H. 1878. List of birds in Peotone [Illinois] and 29:14-15. vicinity. Forest and Stream 11 (3) :47. NEARING, C. T. 1961. A shrike "graveyard." Audubon Bulletin EIFRIG, C. W. G. 1919. Notes on birds of the Chicago area and 119:30. its immediate vicinity. Auk 36(4) :513-524. NEHRLING, H. 1881. Beitrage zur Ornis des nordlichen Illinois. ----. 193 7. The changing status of birds as regards their Journal fur Ornithologie 29: 196-203. abundance. Illinois State Academy of Sciences Transac- NICE, M. M. 1945. Rare and endangered species of birds in tions 30(2) :295-297. northern Illinois. Audubon Bulletin 53:9-10. EKBLAW, G. E. 1917. Spring census and migration record (Ran- Nor.AN V., JR. 1955. The winter season. Middlewestern prairie toul, Ill.). Audubon Bulletin, Spring, 1917:52. region. Audubon Field Notes 9 (3) :261-262. ----, and E. L. EKBLAW. 1916. Spring census and migra- 0BERHOLSER, H. C. 1918. The migration of North American tion records for 1916 (Rantoul, Ill.). Audubon Bulletin, birds. Bird-Lore 20 ( 4) :286-290. Spring, 1916:43-44. PETERSEN, P. C., JR. 1954. Bird records from Tri-cities. Audubon EKBLAW, W. E. 1920. An Illinois boy among Illinois birds. Audu- Bulletin 90 :6. bon Bulletin, Spring, 1920:21-22. ----. 1965. Spring migration. Middlewestern prairie re- ERDMAN, T. C. 1970. Current migrant shrike status in Wiscon- gion. Audubon Field Notes 19(4) :480-482. sin. Passenger Pigeon 32 ( 4): 144-150. RIDGWAY, R. 1878. Notes on birds observed at Mount Carmel FARWELL, E. D. 1919. Bird observations near Chicago. (Privately southern Illinois, in the Spring of 1878. Bulletin of th~ printed, Chicago.) 188 p. Nuttall Ornithological Club 3:162-166.

17 ----. 1887. List of birds found breeding within corporate STRODE, W. S. 1918. Some bird characteristics. Illinois Academy limits of Mt. Carmel, Illinois. Ridgway Ornithological Club of Sciences Transactions 11: 182-186. Bulletin 2 :26-35. STRUMBERG, C. W. 1883. Notes from Galesburg, III. Ornithologist ----. 1889. The ornithology of Illinois. Vol. I. Illinois and Oologist 8 ( 1) : 8. Natural History Survey Reprint, 1913. Pantagraph Printing VANDERCOOK, C. B. 1921. Notes from the field, revised to March Company, Bloomington, Ill. 520 p. 15, 1921. Odin, Marion Co. Audubon Bulletin, Spring, ROBERTSON W., JR. 1942. Audubon Magazine's sixth breeding- 1921 :36-37. bird census. Cut-over upland oak-hickory forest with pond. VESTAL, A. G. 1913. An associational study of Illinois sand Audubon Magazine 44(5) :27 (supplement). prairie. Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History Bul- SANBORN, C. C. 1921. The season. Chicago region. Bird-Lore letin 10:1-96. 23 (3): 145-146. WIDMANN, 0. 1907. A preliminary catalog of the birds of Mis- souri. Academy of Science of St. Louis Transactions 17 ( 1) : ----. 1922. Recent notes from an old collecting ground in 288 p. northeastern Illinois. Auk 39(3) :367-373. ----. 1922. Our birds in winter. Academy of Science of Schafer, J. J. 1917-1918. The fall migration. Audubon Bulletin, St. Louis Transactions 24(8) :24-48. Winter, 1917-1918:40-43. WOODRUFF, F. M. 1897. The home of the loggerhead shrike. ----. 1921. [Untitled.] Audubon Bulletin, Spring, 1921:23. Osprey 1 (8) :109. SMITH, F. 1917. Spring census and migration record (Urbana, ----. 1907. The birds of the Chicago area. Chicago Acad- Illinois). Audubon Bulletin, Spring, 1917 :53-54. emy of Sciences Natural History Survey Bulletin 6: 1-221. SMITH, J. L. 1921. Checking up. Audubon Bulletin, Spring, WORK, R. 1933. Field notes. Barrington Bird Club. Audubon 1921:21. Bulletin 23:41-42.

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