[5] The San Clemente loggerhead shrike is also called a "butcher bird" since it can take animals similar to its own size such as mammals and reptiles.

The island is owned by the United States Navy, and is a valuable asset to the Pacific fleet, allowing for ship-to-shore, air-to-ground, and ground-to-ground operational training.

Shrikes typically occupy wooded canyons on the west side of the island, and sagebrush-dominant habitat on the eastern escarpment.

[9] In 1977, the San Clemente loggerhead shrike was listed as endangered by the United States government, with an estimated population of 50.

[10] A captive breeding program was launched in 1992 at a cost of $3 million per year, and new policies were instituted to help the shrike.

[9] In 2009, an estimated 82 pairs were alive; this number decreased to 41 until 2017 due to drought in Southern California.