{"id":7908,"date":"2013-03-21T03:55:11","date_gmt":"2013-03-21T09:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=7908"},"modified":"2026-01-30T15:17:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:17:20","slug":"loggerhead-shrikes-they-are-mia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/03\/21\/loggerhead-shrikes-they-are-mia\/","title":{"rendered":"Loggerhead Shrikes – They Are MIA"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m used to seeing Loggerhead Shrikes all year round here in northern Utah but they have been MIA for quite some time.<\/p>\n

\"LoggerheadLoggerhead Shrike portrait with the Great Salt Lake in the background – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 357mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

My last sighting was about two weeks ago of a single bird and before that it had been at least since late December or January since I saw one. Their absence might have been caused by the harsh winter we had combined with the heavy snow that would have reduced their opportunities to capture their prey which in the winter would consist of small rodents like voles.<\/p>\n

\"FluffedFluffed up Loggerhead Shrike\u00a0– Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve been waiting for them to show back up and to see them perched on top of sagebrush or rabbitbrush singing. It is difficult to think of them as a songbird because they act like tiny raptors at times but they are indeed songbirds. Take a listen here<\/a><\/span> about halfway down the page.<\/p>\n

I’ll be glad to see them again when they are no longer MIA.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my Loggerhead Shrike photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m used to seeing Loggerhead Shrikes all year round here in northern Utah but they have been MIA for quite some time. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":167814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,247,26],"tags":[4004,58,4171,4066,11049,4104,4046,4289,4057,3906,3907],"class_list":["post-7908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-loggerhead-shrikes","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-antelope-island-sp","tag-lanius-ludovicianus","tag-loggerhead-shrike","tag-mia","tag-perched","tag-portrait","tag-rabbitbrush","tag-sagebrush","tag-shrike","tag-shrikes"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-fluffed-mia-mcpherson-9917.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-23y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":101743,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/04\/23\/loggerhead-shrike-population-decline-concerns\/","url_meta":{"origin":7908,"position":0},"title":"Loggerhead Shrike Population Decline Concerns","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"About two weeks ago I found an adult Loggerhead Shrike perched on a lichen covered rock in northern Utah a good distance from the road that I was on.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Loggerhead Shrike perched on a lichen covered rock, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/loggerhead-shrike-adult-lichen-rocks-mia-mcpherson-6340.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/loggerhead-shrike-adult-lichen-rocks-mia-mcpherson-6340.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/loggerhead-shrike-adult-lichen-rocks-mia-mcpherson-6340.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/loggerhead-shrike-adult-lichen-rocks-mia-mcpherson-6340.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36900,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/03\/08\/two-loggerhead-shrike-juveniles-on-a-log\/","url_meta":{"origin":7908,"position":1},"title":"Two Loggerhead Shrike Juveniles On A Log","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 8, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"These two Loggerhead Shrike juveniles on a log were photographed last August on Antelope Island and were probably from a second brood.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-winter-mia-mcpherson-9820.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-winter-mia-mcpherson-9820.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-winter-mia-mcpherson-9820.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-winter-mia-mcpherson-9820.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8779,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/07\/03\/juvenile-loggerhead-shrike-close-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":7908,"position":3},"title":"Juvenile Loggerhead Shrike Close Up","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 3, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday a family of Loggerhead Shrikes kept us busy for a bit as the juveniles begged the adults to feed them and the adults were hunting food to bring to the rather noisy youngsters on Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Loggerhead Shrike close up, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/loggerhead-shrike-juvenile-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2266.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/loggerhead-shrike-juvenile-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2266.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/loggerhead-shrike-juvenile-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2266.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/loggerhead-shrike-juvenile-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2266.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14509,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/06\/loggerhead-shrikes-are-calling-on-antelope-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":7908,"position":4},"title":"Loggerhead Shrikes Are Calling On Antelope Island","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year about this time I wrote a post complaining about Loggerhead Shrikes being MIA but this year I don't have that complaint because I am seeing and hearing these \"Butcherbirds\" on Antelope Island.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State 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2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8930,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/07\/17\/ever-been-mobbed-by-loggerhead-shrike-juveniles\/","url_meta":{"origin":7908,"position":5},"title":"Ever Been Mobbed By Loggerhead Shrike Juveniles?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, I was mobbed by Loggerhead Shrikes and I didn't mind a bit because it afforded me the opportunity to observe and photograph them up close and it was fascinating!","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fledgling Loggerhead Shrike portrait, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, 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