Birds

Northern Shrike in Brooklyn

December 16, 2011 by Corey 3 Comments

Any species of shrike is an outstanding bird in New York City. A Northern Shrike in Brooklyn is no exception. You can imagine my enjoyment then, when as we driving out of Floyd Bennett Field, Shawn Billerman, who was sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly exclaimed, “Shrike!”

As my Ford Focus came to a screeching stop the gray, white, and black blur that had been speeding along next to the car perched up on a nearby bush and let us get good looks. Lanius excubitor in crisp adult plumage is one heck of a bird whether you go with the American common name, Northern Shrike, or the British name, Great Grey Shrike.

Mindful of the shrike at Jones Beach last year that was originally identified as a Northern Shrike but was later determined to be a much-rarer-in-New-York Loggerhead Shrike, we took our time and checked for any field mark that would make the bird the former, but could find no reason to think it was anything but the more expected species. Our time spent with the bird was rewarded when it took off into the strong northwest winds and hovered several times before diving into the grass and missing whatever it had been seeking to turn into dinner.

When the bird disappeared into the thick bushes that border the wide open fields at Floyd Bennett Field it was our cue to make our exit as well. What a great bird and what a great show! It’s about time, after almost four years of living in New York City, that I finally saw a shrike within the city limits.

…

Written by Corey

Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.

3 Comments

Jochen December 17, 2011 at 7:02 am
Niiiice, any shrike encounter is bound to make my birding day, but the Great Grey one from the North (how’s that for a compromise) is amongst the most magical, in the same league as northern owls and redpolls.
Congrats!!
Corey December 17, 2011 at 5:32 pm
@Jochen: I wonder if your name will catch on? And, yeah, those birds are bad-ass!
Clare and Grant-Broome Western Australia December 17, 2011 at 7:57 pm
Well done…it doesn’t even look cold!! Little Ford cars-brilliant-we took an 8 year old Ford Fiesta from the UK up over the Arctic circle in Norway and as far east as Istanbul and back over 4 months at the end of 1988-several thousand miles and only new spark plugs and water pump.