Nest checks and baby chicks – saving an endangered songbird

Posted onJune 6, 2024byJane Spero|Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery, Loggerhead Shrike, News and Events

Eastern loggerhead shrikes are one of Canada’s most endangered songbirds. In the past, they could be found from Manitoba to New Brunswick. Now, however, there are fewer than 25 breeding pairs, restricted to two small isolated pockets in Ontario: the plains of Carden and Napanee. After a precipitous drop in the wild eastern loggerhead shrike population in the 1990s, Environment Canada invited Wildlife Preservation Canada to lead the multi-partner recovery effort in 2003. Since then, the wild population size has fluctuated. Studies have shown that the recovery effort has prevented the species from disappearing from Canada, and we are continuing the hard work of breeding and release, monitoring and working with partners to save this endangered songbird.

This footage shows a nest with six eggs, a nest with five young and one egg yet to hatch, and a nest with seven older nestlings (about 14 days old) almost ready to branch (so crowded and cozy!). It appears as though the adults incorporated some blue plastic debris from the landscape into this nest, which can be very dangerous as the young could potentially become entangled in the nest. The shrike team will monitor closely over the next week to make sure everyone leaves the nest safely!

Join our Loggerhead Shrike Lead Biologist Jane and Napanee Biologist Lakesha as they spend a beautiful day in Napanee Ontario monitoring loggerhead shrikes.

This compilation shows an afternoon in the field that was full of nest checks and installing cameras to monitor nest trees on the landscape. The cameras are placed facing nests and take a picture every 10 seconds, which provides a minimally invasive method of nest monitoring, and the ability to confirm predation events in case of nest failure.

Our biologists perform nest checks to collect important information on clutch sizes and to age nestlings that have hatched. There are strict protocols in place to ensure there is minimal disturbance to the nest, nestlings, and adults- do not try this at home! Our shrike team watched carefully from a distance after checks took place to make sure adults returned to their nests and resumed normal behaviours.

Nest check with six eggs. Look how cozy that lining is!

Nest with five young and one egg yet to hatch.

Seven young days away from leaving their nest!

The shrike team was overjoyed to see such a big clutch of healthy young- these young are almost ready to leave the nest and begin the next stage of their lives exploring the beauty of the Napanee Limestone Plain. With any luck, these birds will grow strong and healthy and eventually find mates and build nests of their own on the very same landscape. Good luck little ones!

Jane Spero

Lead Biologist – Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery

Jane holds a Master’s degree in animal biosciences from the University of Guelph, where she studied building collision injuries in migratory songbird species. Jane worked as a rehabilitation supervisor, where she was responsible for the care, treatment, and reintroduction of injured and orphaned wildlife, including many species at risk.

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Nest checks and baby chicks – saving an endangered songbird

Jane Spero

Lead Biologist – Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery

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