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Brown Shrike

From Opus

Photo by Laurence Poh  Ipoh, Malaysia
Photo by Laurence Poh
Ipoh, Malaysia
Lanius cristatus

Contents

[edit] Identification

17-19 cm
Male

  • Dark brown upperparts and crown
  • White face
  • Black eye mask
  • Yellow-buff underparts

Female similar but has a greyer crown

FemalePhoto by Romy OconParanaque City, Philippines, October 2008
Female
Photo by Romy Ocon
Paranaque City, Philippines, October 2008

[edit] Similar Species

Isabelline Shrike: more orangey-brown upperparts
Red-backed Shrike: longer primary projection

[edit] Distribution

Breeds Northeast Asia. Winters Northeast Africa, India and Malay Archipelago.

Accidental to Alaska and Newfoundland, British Isles and Denmark.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

This is a polytypic species, consisting of four subspecies[1]:

  • L. c. cristatus:
  • L. c. confusus:
  • L. c. superciliosus:
  • L. c. lucionensis:
JuvenilePhoto by mohbhornState Railway Park, Bangkok, Thailand, September 2008
Juvenile
Photo by mohbhorn
State Railway Park, Bangkok, Thailand, September 2008

[edit] Habitat

Found in virtually all habitats, conspicuous and noisy, often on telephone wires. Forests and semi desert.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

Very aggressive preying on large insects (including wasps and bees), mammals and small birds.

[edit] Breeding

It nests in a tree or bush; the clutch consists of 2-6 eggs.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

  1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
  2. Wikipedia
  3. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
  4. BF Member observations

[edit] External Links


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