The San Clemente loggerhead shrike (''Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi'') or San Clemente Island loggerhead shrike is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

loggerhead shrike The loggerhead shrike (''Lanius ludovicianus'') is a passerine bird in the family Laniidae. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike (''L. borealis'') occurs north of its range, however it ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

San Clemente Island San Clemente Island (Tongva: ''Kinkipar''; Spanish: ''Isla de San Clemente'') is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. It is administered b ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Description

The San Clemente loggerhead shrike is a

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

bird of medium size. Around its eyes, it has black feathers, a color which is also found in the tail and on the wings. On its back, it has gray feathers. The underside of the bird is white. It also has patches of white on its wings and tail.

Habitat

The San Clemente loggerhead shrike is native to

, a small island off the coast of

, United States. The island is owned by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, and is a valuable asset to the Pacific fleet, allowing for ship-to-shore, air-to-ground, and ground-to-ground operational training. Shrikes typically occupy wooded canyons on the west side of the island, and sagebrush-dominant habitat on the eastern escarpment.

Environmental status

Since the 1880s, the San Clemente loggerhead shrike's habitat has been threatened by domestic animals, primarily goats, imported to San Clemente Island. By the early 1900s, the bird's population had declined to about 20, but stabilized. The Navy began removing

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

in 1973. In 1977, the San Clemente loggerhead shrike was listed as endangered by the United States government, with an estimated population of 50. Between 1982 and 1999, the bird's population was measured between 14 and 33 birds, bottoming out in January 1998. The removal of feral goats and sheep was completed in 1993. In 1996, the Institute for Wildlife Studies conducted video research on the shrike for the Navy. In 1997, they were asked to come up with a strategy to raise the bird's numbers. A captive breeding program was launched in 1992 at a cost of $3 million per year, and new policies were instituted to help the shrike. For example, snipers must aim around bird nests when practicing. Thanks to the program, the bird's population reached 135 (captive and wild) specimens by 2004. In 2009, an estimated 82 pairs were alive; this number decreased to 41 until 2017 due to drought in Southern California.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15708256

San Clemente loggerhead shrike The San Clemente loggerhead shrike (''Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi'') or San Clemente Island loggerhead shrike is a subspecies of the loggerhead shrike that is endemic to San Clemente Island, California. Description The San Clemente loggerhead ...

Endemic fauna of California Endemic birds of the Western United States Fauna of the Channel Islands of California Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of Los Angeles County, California Endangered fauna of California Native birds of the Western United States