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Bringing Home the Bacon: A Lanius ludovicianus (Loggerhead Shrike) Caches an Anthropogenic Food Item in an Urban Environment

Alexander J. Worm1 and Than J. Boves1,*

1Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, State University, AR 72467. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 18, Issue 4 (2019): N45–N47

Abstract
Shrikes (Family Laniidae) are songbirds that are known for their behavior of impaling prey, and in parts of the southern United States, Lanius ludovicianus (Loggerhead Shrike) is relatively common in urban areas. Here we describe the first case of a shrike scavenging and caching an anthropogenic food item. On 12 May 2018 in an urban setting in Port Allen, LA, we observed a Loggerhead Shrike scavenge a fully cooked piece of bacon from a hotel parking lot and cache it in a Lagerstroemia indica (Crapemyrtle). Although a single observation, we believe it warrants further research to assess the prevalence of shrikes scavenging anthropogenic food items and, overall, how urbanization affects Loggerhead Shrike behavior, individual fitness, and populations.

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