From Opus

Alternative name: Northern Shrike

Photo by rayh
Adult Great Grey Shrike at Spurn Point, England

Lanius excubitor

[edit] Identification

22-26 cm. Adult

• Grey head and back
• White belly, throat and chest
• Black wings with white patch
• Medium-long tail black with white outer feathers
• Black mask on face
• Distinctive stout, hooked bill

Juvenile

• Barred brown below
• Brownish wash above

[edit] Distribution

Northern Palearctic, Holarctic, and Oriental regions.

[edit] Taxonomy

Polytypic. Consists of nine subspecies.
Was formerly considered conspecific with Southern Grey Shrike.

[edit] Habitat

Upland forests and bogs.

[edit] Behaviour

Diet includes small mammals and birds and it often stores uneaten prey by impaling it on thorns. This habit has earned it the nickname "butcher bird". Northern Shrikes commonly hunt from a very high perch usually a tall tree top.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] Song

A complex and variable medley of short liquid trills, whistles, chatter and harsh notes and often mimic the calls and songs of other birds such as Blue Jays, Gray Catbirds, American Robins, and Song Sparrows.

[edit] Call

A harsh shek-shek, grating jaaeg, rapid rasping aak...aak, a sharp metallic beek.

[edit] External Links

This link searches for Great Grey Shrike