It's for the hour-long seminar I have to give next Friday. It's also my thesis topic. It's not as good as it could have been, but I'm still crunching numbers for the results of the preliminary analysis (which is what I'm presenting).

Provisioning of Nestlings by Male and Female Loggerhead Shrikes in Central Kentucky

Laurenda

amy university, my university's address

Abstract. Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) are among the few songbirds experiencing significant population declines throughout most of their range. As such, additional studies are needed to improve our understanding of their behavior and ecology. Although previous investigators have examined the hunting behavior of and prey selection by adult Loggerhead Shrikes, little is known about the provisioning behavior of adult shrikes and about the types of prey provided to nestlings.

My objective, therefore, was to examine the respective roles of male and female shrikes in provisioning nestlings and to quantify the diet of nestlings. Loggerhead Shrike nests were monitored at various locations in Madison County, Kentucky, during the 2004, 2005, and 2006 breeding seasons. At each nest, at least one adult was captured and banded with unique combinations of color bands to permit individual identification. Nests with young shrikes were videotaped almost daily for 2 – 4 hours. Subsequently, tapes were reviewed and, for each visit by an adult, I noted its sex and also noted the type, number, and size of prey delivered. Analysis was then conducted to determine the possible effects of adult sex, brood size, and brood age on provisioning behavior.

I love birds, That is a stunning one Jack