Loggerhead Shrike

Species information

The following is a report on progress made towards the protection and recovery of Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) in Ontario from 2007 to 2021, based on Ontario’s species-specific recovery policy. This report meets the legislative requirement for a review of progress under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or “the Act”). Loggerhead Shrike is listed as endangered on the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List under the ESA.

Loggerhead Shrike has been classified as a species at risk since 1992 under the previous Endangered Species Act. It was originally classified as an endangered species and was listed as such under the ESA when it came into force in June 2008.

Habitat protection for this species is based on the general habitat definition in the Act. A general habitat description for Loggerhead Shrike was developed in 2013 and provides greater clarity on the area of habitat protected based on the general habitat definition in the Act.

The species-specific recovery policy for Loggerhead Shrike, known as the Government Response Statement (GRS) was published in 2017 and includes the government’s recovery goal for the species and the actions and priorities it intends to lead or support to help achieve that goal. The GRS considers science advice provided in the recovery strategy, when developing recovery actions for the species. As legislated in the Act, the purpose of this Review is to report on progress made towards implementing the protection and recovery actions in the GRS. The review can also help identify opportunities to adjust and adapt the implementation of protection and recovery actions to achieve the recovery goal for the species.

Further information about Loggerhead Shrike, including the threats that it faces, and actions being taken to help protect and recover this species is available on the Government of Ontario webpage for Loggerhead Shrike. A summary on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Loggerhead Shrike and an annual update on the broader species at risk program (i.e. the Introduction to the 2022 Review of Progress report) is available on the Review of Progress towards the Protection and Recovery of Ontario’s Species at Risk webpage.

Snapshot: Progress towards the protection and recovery of Loggerhead Shrike

Progress towards meeting the recovery goal

• The short-term recovery goal in the Government Response Statement (GRS) for Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario is to maintain persistence of the species in Ontario while filling knowledge gaps related to threats.
• The long-term recovery goal is to maintain consistent breeding of Loggerhead Shrike in at least two core areas in Ontario by minimizing threats and maintaining suitable habitat conditions.
• Progress has been made towards implementing the majority of the government-led actions. Progress has been made towards implementing all of the government-supported recovery objectives and all of the associated actions. Examples of progress include:
  • radio-tagging and banding efforts that have uncovered Loggerhead Shrike migratory routes and wintering grounds
  • habitat stewardship activities that have maintained, created and enhanced over 3,600 hectares of Loggerhead Shrike habitat
  • captive Loggerhead Shrike breeding and release of over 1,300 individuals since 2003
• In alignment with the GRS, further work is needed to conduct research on threats to the species (particularly along migratory routes and on wintering grounds), secure additional Loggerhead Shrike habitat in Ontario, and determine the genetic composition of captive Loggerhead Shrike individuals in Ontario.

Occurrences and distribution

• In Ontario, Loggerhead Shrike prefers pasture or other grasslands with short grass and scattered dense trees and shrubs. Core breeding areas are located in the Carden Plain and Napanee Limestone Plain, but other isolated breeding locations have been found in the province.
• In 2021, 24 breeding pairs were confirmed in Ontario by Wildlife Preservation Canada, representing an increase from 2014 (14 pairs) and 2016 (18 pairs).
• This species has a distribution of 580 square kilometres based on recent observations, and an additional 1,500 square kilometres of historical^{footnote 1[1]} habitat.
• The Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received over 5,800 records of the species based on observations made between 1906 and 2021.
• Since 2008, the species has been observed in 12 locations where it was not previously known to occur, mainly near the core breeding area in the Carden Plain.

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its stewardship partners to conduct 53 projects (by providing $2,331,529 in funding) that have supported the protection and recovery of Loggerhead Shrike.
• The government’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 2,055 individuals who volunteered 25,674 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for Loggerhead Shrike. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support, is $5,049,529‬.
• Stewardship partners reported that through their actions, 3,613 hectares of habitat were enhanced for Loggerhead Shrike exclusively and 3,134 hectares of habitat were enhanced for Loggerhead Shrike and other species at risk that inhabit the same ecosystem.
• Stewardship partners reported providing outreach on multiple species at risk, including Loggerhead Shrike, to 130,797 individuals (e.g. by publishing newsletters and articles that provide updates on Loggerhead Shrike research).
• Through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, the Government of Ontario supported two research partners to conduct research on Loggerhead Shrike migration, habitat requirements, demographics, and captive-breeding and release strategies.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• The Government of Ontario has issued two “overall benefit” permits for this species under clause (17(2)(c)) of the ESA, and thirteen ‘protection and recovery’ permits under clause 17(2)(b) of the ESA.
• Four aggregate agreements were entered into for Loggerhead Shrike. These agreements were enabled through Ontario Regulation 242/08 (prior to the July 1, 2013 amendment) under the ESA.
• One hundred and seventy-nine activities have been registered for the species. The activities were registered under “Drainage works” (section 23.9), “Ecosystem protection” (section 23.11), “Pits and quarries” (section 23.14), “Species protection, recovery activities” (section 23.17), “Threats to human health and safety, not imminent” (section 23.18), and “Wind facilities” (section 23.20) under Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA.

Reporting on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Loggerhead Shrike

The implementation of government-led and government-supported actions demonstrates progress towards reaching the desired objectives and the recovery goal set out in the GRS.

Progress towards implementing government-led actions

Progress has been made towards implementing the majority of government-led actions identified in the GRS. Common actions for the government to lead as it works towards achieving a species’ recovery goal include:

• Work with partners and stakeholders to implement the Pollinator Health Strategy and Action Plan and further reduce overall pesticide use in Ontario through actions such as integrated pest management and education.
• Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.
• Encourage the submission of Loggerhead Shrike data to the Government of Ontario’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
• Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
• Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover the Loggerhead Shrike. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services.
• Encourage collaboration, and establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to reduce duplication of efforts.

The Government of Ontario has moved to strengthen managed honey bee and wild pollinator populations by working with farmers on ways to promote environmental stewardship, providing education programs and supports for farmers to promote integrated pest management, and addressing pollinators’ exposure to pesticides by reducing the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid^{footnote 2[2]} -treated corn and soybean seed. Ontario was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate neonicotinoid-treated seeds. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has supported these efforts by publishing and updating field crop guides, administering cost-sharing programs with bee-keepers and farmers, and conducting monitoring, research, education and outreach on insect pollinators.

Additionally, the government has directly undertaken the following species-specific actions:

• Protect the Loggerhead Shrike and its habitat through the ESA. Continue to implement, promote compliance with and enforce habitat protections using the species-specific habitat description for Loggerhead Shrike.

Key progress made towards implementing the remaining government-led actions is described in the following sections. Much of the research on Loggerhead Shrike described below has been supported and facilitated by Ontario Parks, particularly in Carden Alvar Provincial Park, one of two areas in Ontario where Loggerhead Shrike breeds.

Guides and resources

Collisions with vehicles and buildings are one of several threats to the recovery of Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario. More information on how to reduce bird collisions with vehicles and buildings can be found in A Guide to Road Ecology in Ontario (PDF) and on the FLAP Canada website, respectively.

Landowners seeking to create, enhance or maintain species at risk habitat for Loggerhead Shrike may be eligible for funding support under the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program and/or Grasslands Stewardship Initiative. You can also find species-specific guidance on habitat creation and management in Loggerhead Shrike: An Ontario Landowner’s Guide by Wildlife Preservation Canada.

Occurrences and distribution

In Ontario, Loggerhead Shrike breeds in two core areas in the province: the Carden Plain in Central Ontario and Napanee Limestone Plain in southeastern Ontario, with over 70% of Ontario Loggerhead Shrike breeding records reported in these two areas. However, there are some scattered breeding locations across central and southern Ontario (such as Smiths Falls and along the Ontario-Quebec border in the last few years) as well as a small number of breeding locations in northern Ontario. In 2021, Wildlife Preservation Canada confirmed that there were 24 breeding pairs in the province (Wildlife Preservation Canada 2021). This represents an increase relative to corresponding surveys conducted by Wildlife Preservation from 2014 (14 breeding pairs) and 2016 (18 breeding pairs).

Given the species’ distribution, the species’ occurrence information has been assessed at a landscape scale using 10 by 10 kilometre grid “squares” to approximate the species’ distribution. The squares were used to estimate where the species has been recently observed (i.e., has been observed within the past 20 years) as well as squares where the species is considered historical.

Using this approach, the species has been recently observed in 58 squares, which equates to a distribution of 580 square kilometres. Historical records from 20 – 50 years ago documented Loggerhead Shrike in 187 squares, 37 of which have more recent observations. This suggests there are 150 squares (or 1,500 square kilometres) where the species was historically distributed, and 21 squares (or 210 square kilometres) where the species was newly documented in the past 20 years. Additionally, 44 squares were identified that contain records from more than 50 years ago that have no more-recent observations, and therefore the species could be considered extirpated from these squares.

The government’s central repository at the NHIC has received over 5,800 records of Loggerhead Shrike. The records are based on observations between 1906 and 2021, and 3,497 of these records contain evidence that the birds observed may have been nesting near where the observations were recorded. Based on records since 2008, the species has been observed in locations associated with 12 squares in which it was not previously known to occur (mainly near the Carden Plain (six squares), as well as Manitoulin Island, the Napanee Limestone Plain, Ottawa and Owen Sound), and the species’ presence has been re-confirmed in 31 additional squares. Data received since 2008 has also allowed NHIC to document 886 historical observations of Loggerhead Shrike and 1,066 recent observations of the species at various breeding locations.

Newly identified Loggerhead Shrike locations may represent increased knowledge on the distribution of the species rather than an actual range shift or expansion. Efforts to engage citizen scientists in collecting data for this species have increased, with an assortment of programs and tools available for observations to be submitted and confirmed. This includes eBird, a program that collects an assortment of data on birds submitted by users, and shares this data with other agencies, such as the NHIC. However, considerable efforts have been made to create and enhance habitat in core breeding areas through several projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program and authorizations, which may facilitate changes to the Loggerhead Shrike distribution.

It is possible that there are observations of Loggerhead Shrike that have not been submitted to the government. Encouraging the submission of observations of this species is included in the GRS as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and can play an important role in assessing the viability of species populations.

Everyone is encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval, to submit observations of Loggerhead Shrike, and any other species at risk, to the NHIC for incorporation into the provincial record of observations. Observations may now be submitted to NHIC via the Rare Species of Ontario project in iNaturalist or through eBird.

• 5800+
  observations of this species were submitted to the NHIC since 2008

Government-supported stewardship projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Loggerhead Shrike is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported 53 projects ($2,331,529) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Loggerhead Shrike. In addition to the government funding, partners focusing exclusively on Loggerhead Shrike reported they were successful in securing additional funding ($1,111,509) from other sources, as did partners with projects designed to benefit multiple species at risk, including Loggerhead Shrike ($3,938,020). These amounts include in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers.

Stewardship partners reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving 2,055 individuals who volunteered 25,674 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for Loggerhead Shrike, which has an estimated value of $624,049. Partners also reported that through both their efforts and the efforts of their volunteers to implement GRS, they were successful in enhancing 3,134 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Loggerhead Shrike, and another 3,613 hectares for the species exclusively. In addition, stewardship partners reported providing focused outreach on Loggerhead Shrike to 9,500 individuals, as well as ecosystem-based outreach on multiple species, including Loggerhead Shrike, to 121,297 individuals.

The government also supports proponents in conducting research that addresses important knowledge gaps for species at risk. Through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, the government provided funding to two partners to conduct research on Loggerhead Shrike migration, habitat requirements, demographics, and captive-breeding and release strategies.

The remainder of this section highlights the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program led by Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC) with funding support from the Species at Risk Stewardship Program.

Since its establishment in 2007, the Species at Risk Stewardship Program has regularly supported on-the-ground Loggerhead Shrike research and management activities by WPC and their partners through the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program. Captive breeding and releases to support the wild Loggerhead Shrike population is a major component of this program and has been instrumental to the persistence of Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario (Tischendorf, 2009, 2015 in Chabot et al. 2019). The program is also recognised for being the first program in the world to successfully breed and release migratory songbirds (Wildlife Preservation Canada 2022). Since 2003, the program has released over 1,300 young Loggerhead Shrikes into the wild and an estimated 90 birds have returned to the Carden Plain and Napanee Limestone Plain breeding grounds. In 2021, WPC confirmed that there were 24 breeding pairs in the province, which included six captive-released birds (Wildlife Preservation Canada 2021 (PDF)).

Monitoring, research and habitat stewardship also play an important role in the recovery of Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario. As such, other components of the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program include annual monitoring to determine population size, breeding success, and site use/reuse; conducting research to locate migration routes and wintering grounds using radio-tags and color bands; and implementing habitat stewardship projects on breeding grounds in Ontario. WPC shares findings from these initiatives with partners across Canada and the United States in the Loggerhead Shrike Working Group, and collaborative work planning within this group ensures a coordinated recovery effort for the species across North America.

In Ontario, landowners play an important role in WPC’s recovery program since private properties make up a large proportion of the two core breeding areas in the Carden Plain and Napanee Limestone Plain. Recognizing this, WPC and its partners have collaborated with numerous landowners to create and enhance thousands of hectares of Loggerhead Shrike habitat in core breeding areas and developed The Loggerhead Shrike: An Ontario Landowner’s Guide (PDF) in 2015 to support Loggerhead Shrike-friendly land management and habitat creation in Ontario (Wildlife Preservation Canada 2015 (PDF)).

Through this program, WPC and its partners have helped to implement all government-supported actions in the Loggerhead Shrike Government Response Statement, as described below.

Species at Risk Stewardship Program

• 
  53

  projects included Loggerhead Shrike

• 
  $2,331,529

  for projects that included Loggerhead Shrike

• 
  $5,673,578

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  2,055

  volunteers

• 
  25,674

  volunteer hours

• 
  130,797

  people received outreach

• 
  6,747

  hectares of habitat enhanced

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

Supporting partners through authorizations and their associated conditions is an important government-led action.

Fifteen permits have been issued for Loggerhead Shrike since the species has been protected under the ESA, two of which have been ‘overall benefit’ (17(2)(c)) permits. An additional 13 ‘protection and recovery’ permits under clause 17(2)(b) of the ESA were issued to enable the post-construction mortality monitoring of wind power projects including the collection of deceased specimens and medical treatment of injured birds. All permits were issued for multiple species, including Loggerhead Shrike. Several of the conditions included in the permits are designed to implement government-supported actions identified in the GRS for Loggerhead Shrike, including:

• preparing a Loggerhead Shrike habitat enhancement plan in consultation with the Government of Ontario and a qualified professional
• maintaining and enhancing Loggerhead Shrike habitat and conducting Loggerhead Shrike surveys for five consecutive years
• conducting research that contributes to filling a knowledge gap of Loggerhead Shrike that is relevant to the protection and recovery of the species
• submitting all observations and monitoring data to the Government of Ontario to be added to the provincial records

Other conditions designed to minimize adverse effects include:

• not conducting activities that could impact the habitat of Loggerhead Shrike during their nesting period
• reducing speed limits on roads in work locations, and reducing these speed limits further if Loggerhead Shrike is observed
• not conducting activities within a specified distance of historical and known Loggerhead Shrike nests
• distributing educational materials to landowners and community members related to the threat of road mortality to species at risk, including Loggerhead Shrike, which includes messaging to encourage reporting observations of species at risk to the Government of Ontario

More detailed information regarding ‘overall benefit’ permits for this species is available through the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

Four aggregate agreements were entered into for Loggerhead Shrike. These agreements were enabled through Ontario Regulation 242/08  (prior to the July 1, 2013 amendment). Conditions of the agreements involve implementing actions in the mitigation plan, including, but not limited to:

• providing information and awareness training on Loggerhead Shrike to all people who enter the work site
• having a qualified professional conduct surveys for the Loggerhead Shrike during the species’ nesting period
• immediately ceasing activities when a Loggerhead Shrike is encountered, where the activities may adversely affect a Loggerhead Shrike

One hundred and seventy-nine activities that may affect Loggerhead Shrike or its habitat have been registered for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA. Twelve activities were registered under “Drainage works” (section 23.9), one activity was registered under “Ecosystem protection” (section 23.11), three activities were registered under “Pits and quarries” (section 23.14), two activities were registered under “Species protection, recovery activities” (section 23.17), 159 activities were registered under “Threats to human health and safety, not imminent” (section 23.18), and two activities were registered under “Wind facilities” (section 23.20). These registrations require the registrant to comply with all conditions of the regulation, such as:

• preparation of a mitigation plan using the best available information on steps that may help minimize or avoid adverse effects on the species
• ceasing operations when the species is encountered
• refraining from carrying out work during a period of reproduction or other sensitive period for the species unless the restriction on work would result in a delay that would render the threat to human health or safety unavoidable and unacceptable in the circumstances

• 13
  protection or recovery permits
• 2
  overall benefit permits
• 4
  agreements
• 179
  registrations

Progress towards implementing government-supported actions

Government-supported actions are organized under overarching recovery objectives. Progress has been made towards achieving all government-supported recovery objectives and implementing all of the associated actions identified in the GRS for Loggerhead Shrike.

Under this objective, progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 1 (High Priority), No. 2 and No. 3, and considerable progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 4.

Implementation of Action No. 1 (High Priority), No. 2 and No. 3 have been supported by several projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program and Species at Risk Research Fund, such as the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program established by Wildlife Preservation Canada. This program has been tracking Loggerhead Shrike movements for several years through bird banding and radio-tagging efforts that have identified different migration strategies through Ontario and various stopover and overwintering areas in the northeastern and southeastern United States (Action No. 1 – High Priority). Work has also been done by this group to:

• assess Loggerhead Shrike habitat preferences on wintering and breeding grounds (supports Action No. 1 – High Priority and Action No. 2)
• identify threats to Loggerhead Shrike habitat in Ontario (Action No. 2)
• investigate factors contributing to failed nests, such as environmental contaminants, predation, and extreme weather events (Action No. 2)
• track annual mortality rates and determine causes post-fledging and juvenile mortality (e.g. by monitoring fledglings in the wild and performing necropsies of fledglings and juveniles that have died in captivity) (Action No. 3)

Considerable progress has been made towards coordinating efforts and sharing information with other jurisdictions (Action No. 4) through annual meetings held by the Loggerhead Shrike Working Group. Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is a member of this working group, along with Wildlife Preservation Canada and several other landowners, governments, non-government organizations and academic organizations from Canada and the United States.

Under this objective, considerable progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 5 and progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 6.

Action No. 5 has been implemented by Wildlife Preservation Canada, who developed The Loggerhead Shrike: An Ontario Landowner’s Guide (PDF) and led numerous habitat stewardship projects in Loggerhead Shrike habitat with support from the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. Other projects supported by this program have completed habitat restoration research, planning and activities in areas with suitable Loggerhead Shrike habitat. Some ESA authorizations have also required creating and maintaining Loggerhead Shrike habitat with guidance from a qualified professional. These efforts have resulted in the creation or enhancement of over 3,600 hectares of habitat for Loggerhead Shrike specifically, and over 3,000 additional hectares of habitat for multiple species at risk, including Loggerhead Shrike. Nesting Loggerhead Shrikes have been observed in several of these created and enhanced habitats.

The Species at Risk Stewardship Program has also supported several projects that secured additional Loggerhead Shrike habitat at the Carden Plain (one of the two core Loggerhead Shrike breeding areas in Ontario) and facilitated landowner stewardship in areas with suitable Loggerhead Shrike habitat (Action No. 6).

Under this objective, considerable progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 7 (High Priority) and progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 8, mainly through the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program established by Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC). WPC has collaborated, and continues to collaborate, with several partners to monitor Loggerhead Shrike populations and habitat and are working towards completing a Population and Habitat Viability Assessment for Loggerhead Shrike (Action No. 7 – High Priority). In addition, WPC is maintaining the Loggerhead Shrike population in Ontario through their captive Loggerhead Shrike breeding and release program and continuously evaluates and refines their breeding and release strategies to increase the success of this program (Action No. 8).

Observation records submitted to the NHIC by individuals and various organizations have also helped to increase our understanding of Loggerhead Shrike distribution in Ontario. Efforts to collect more observation data are ongoing through programs such as the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, led by Birds Canada between 2021-2025 in partnership with Ontario Parks, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Environment and Climate Change Canada and various non-government organizations. The project aims to survey for all breeding birds in the province and species at risk sightings will be submitted to the NHIC Significant Species database.

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goals

The short-term recovery goal for Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario is to maintain the persistence of the species in Ontario while filling knowledge gaps related to threats. The long-term recovery goal is to maintain consistent breeding of Loggerhead Shrike in at least two core areas in Ontario by minimizing threats and maintaining suitable habitat conditions. Efforts made towards the government-led and government-supported actions, including through a long-term captive breeding and release program established by Wildlife Preservation Canada, have allowed the species to persist at its two core breeding areas in Ontario. Together with ongoing research to monitor population trends, determine migration routes and wintering grounds, and identify threats to the species, progress towards the short-term goal is being achieved.

This work, along with measures implemented through stewardship projects and the conditions of ESA authorizations (such as enhancing and creating habitat and avoiding certain activities in current and historical nesting sites), is also supporting the long-term goal. In 2021, 24 breeding pairs of Loggerhead Shrike were confirmed in Ontario by Wildlife Preservation Canada, representing an increase from 2014 (14 pairs) and 2016 (18 pairs). Loggerhead Shrike observation data submitted to the NHIC has also helped us learn more about where this species is currently found and areas where it was found historically. Outside of the two core breeding areas, sporadic breeding has occurred in isolated locations across Ontario, including Smiths Falls and along the Ontario-Quebec border in the last few years.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, this review of progress can be used to help identify whether adjustments to the implementation of GRS actions are needed, to achieve the protection and recovery of the species. Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS for Loggerhead Shrike, particularly the implementation of actions identified as high priority, should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species.

Although progress has been made towards Action No. 1 – High Priority (research on migratory routes and wintering grounds) and Action No. 2 (investigating threats on breeding grounds), further work is needed to assess the Loggerhead Shrike habitat quality and threats during migration and on wintering grounds (sub-actions under Action No. 1 – High Priority) and investigate the effects of climate change, weather events/patterns and road mortality on Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario (sub-actions under Action No. 2). Efforts to secure additional suitable habitat within core breeding grounds and along migration routes (sub-action under Action No. 6) and determine the genetic composition of captive individuals (sub-action under Action No. 8) is also recommended to support the recovery of this species.

Protecting and recovering Loggerhead Shrike will continue to be a shared responsibility that will require the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities. Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. The government can also advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake a project. By working together, progress can continue to be made towards protecting and recovering Loggerhead Shrike in Ontario.

References

• Chabot, A., Steiner, J., Wheeler, H. 2019. The Plight of the Loggerhead Shrike: A One-Plan Approach to Saving an Iconic Grassland Bird in North America. (PDF) Animal Keeper’s Forum 46, 153-157. Accessed May 9, 2022.
• Ontario Road Ecology Group, Toronto Zoo. 2010. A Guide to Road Ecology in Ontario, prepared for the Environment Canada Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (PDF). Accessed May 10, 2022.
• Wildlife Preservation Canada. 2022. Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Program (PDF). Accessed December 21, 2022.
• Wildlife Preservation Canada. 2021. 2021 Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery Program Summary Report. (PDF) Accessed October 11, 2022.
• Wildlife Preservation Canada. 2015. The Loggerhead Shrike: An Ontario Landowner’s Guide (PDF). Accessed May 10, 2022.