San Clemente loggerhead shrike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Clemente loggerhead shrike |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Laniidae |
| Genus: | Lanius |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
L. l. mearnsi
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| Trinomial name | |
| Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi Ridgway, 1903
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The San Clemente loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi) is a special type of bird. It is a smaller group, or subspecies, of the loggerhead shrike. This unique bird lives only on San Clemente Island in California. It is found nowhere else in the world!
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About the San Clemente Shrike
The San Clemente loggerhead shrike is a medium-sized songbird. It has black feathers around its eyes. Its tail and wings are also black. The bird's back is gray. Its belly is white. You can also see white patches on its wings and tail.
Where It Lives
The San Clemente loggerhead shrike calls San Clemente Island home. This is a small island off the coast of California, United States. The United States Navy owns the island. It is an important place for Navy training. They practice ship-to-shore, air-to-ground, and ground-to-ground operations there.
Shrikes often live in wooded canyons. These are found on the west side of the island. They also live in areas with lots of sagebrush. These areas are on the eastern part of the island.
Protecting the San Clemente Shrike
Since the 1880s, the shrike's home has been in danger. Farm animals like goats were brought to San Clemente Island. These animals ate the plants the shrikes needed. By the early 1900s, only about 20 shrikes were left.
Helping the Shrike Population
The Navy started removing these introduced animals in 1973. In 1977, the United States government listed the shrike as an endangered species. At that time, only about 50 birds were estimated to be alive. Between 1982 and 1999, the number of shrikes was very low. It ranged from 14 to 33 birds. The lowest point was in January 1998. All the wild goats and sheep were removed by 1993.
In 1996, a group called the Institute for Wildlife Studies helped the Navy. They studied the shrike using video. In 1997, they were asked to create a plan. The goal was to help the bird's numbers grow.
Breeding Programs and Recovery
A special breeding program started in 1992. This program helped raise shrikes in a safe place. New rules were also put in place to protect the birds. For example, military training is done carefully. People avoid bird nests when practicing.
Thanks to these efforts, the shrike population grew. By 2004, there were 135 shrikes. This number included both wild birds and those in the breeding program. In 2009, about 82 pairs of shrikes were living. However, this number went down to 41 pairs by 2017. This drop was due to a long period of dry weather, or drought, in Southern California.
