Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) Science Article 3
abstract
Band-recovery data were examined for evidence of interseasonal non-breeding site fidelity in the Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor), an irregular, long-distance migrant to the northern temperate zone. Despite the low rate of recapture (0.9%) of banded Northern Shrikes in subsequent years, recovery data revealed that 12 individuals were recaptured at or near their original banding locations 1-3 yr after banding. These data strongly suggest that this species is faithful to winter territories and, possibly, migration stopover sites. Site fidelity may be an important strategy for surviving the non-breeding season in this raptorial passerine.
Christopher C. Rimmer and Charles H. Darmstadt, J. Field Ornithol., 67(3):360-366