Hi friends… welcome to the Wild Side… I’m Steve Hall
The less we know about certain species of animals… the more mysterious or forgotten they seem to be. It is a wise and natural instinct for wildlife to avoid human beings. We are clearly a danger to them. So if a particular bird is really good at hiding from us… it may take a while before we realize it’s in the process of possibly disappearing altogether. Because of graphic visuals in this story… viewer discretion is advised.
The Tennessee team is part of the Loggerhead Shrike Working Group, a collaborative effort across North America to try and save this remarkable bird from disappearing forever.
We could not have told this story without help from researchers and birdwatchers who shared their pictures and video with us. In particular, we want to thank… Emily Donahue, who is doing research in Arkansas… and also Phil Rathner, who is retired from working on the television show Sesame Street. So he went from Big Bird to a fascination with Loggerhead Shrike.
Episode 4006
Southeastern Avian Research – Avian Research in the southeast including winter hummingbird banding
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere | Nashville, TN
