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| − | [[Image:Red-backed_Shrike.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Pavlik|Pavlik}} <br />Male and female. Location: Saratov oblast, [[Russia]]]] | + | [[Image:Red-backed_Shrike.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Pavlik|Pavlik}} <br />Male and female. Location: Saratov oblast, [[Russia]], May 2003]] |
;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] collurio | ;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] collurio | ||
==Identification== | ==Identification== | ||
| + | Length 17 cm, weight 23-34 g<br /> | ||
Rufous-brown above and creamy to pink below. Looks 'long' in flight.<br /> | Rufous-brown above and creamy to pink below. Looks 'long' in flight.<br /> | ||
'''Male'''<br /> | '''Male'''<br /> | ||
| − | Blue-grey head and rump, with a bold black eye-stripe. Black tail with white sides (reminiscent of [[Northern Wheatear]])<br /> | + | Blue-grey head and rump, with a bold black eye-stripe. Black tail with white sides (superficially reminiscent of [[Northern Wheatear]])<br /> |
'''Female'''<br /> | '''Female'''<br /> | ||
| − | Browner; head grey-brown with a dark cheek patch. | + | Browner; head grey-brown with a dark cheek patch. 'Scaly' with crescent-shaped feather fringes on underparts<br /> |
'''Juvenile'''<br /> | '''Juvenile'''<br /> | ||
| − | Brown above with dark bars. | + | Brown above with dark bars. 'Scaly' with crescent-shaped feather fringes covering the body.<br /> |
==Distribution== | ==Distribution== | ||
| − | [[Image:Shrike Juv Picture-289.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|teodor |teodor}}<br />Juvenile photographed in August 2008]] | + | [[Image:Shrike Juv Picture-289.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|teodor|teodor}}<br />Juvenile photographed in August 2008]] |
| − | + | Red-backed Shrike was formerly a fairly common summer visitor to the [[UK]], but is now only a sporadic breeder. It can still be seen on passage, mainly on the east coast. It still breeds - though often at low density - in most of mainland [[Europe]] and northwest [[Asia]] (east to western Siberia) between roughly 40° to 65°N latitude. According to ''The Birds of the Western Palearctic - Concise Edition'' there were an estimated 200,000 - 210,000 pairs in [[Ukraine]] in 1986, and the population is fairly stable. It also breeds in southwest Asia from [[Turkey]] to northwest [[Iran]]. Further east, it is replaced by [[Brown Shrike]], and southeast, by [[Isabelline Shrike]]; some hybridisation with both occurs where their ranges meet. | |
The birds winter in tropical and southern [[Africa]]. | The birds winter in tropical and southern [[Africa]]. | ||
| Line 17: | Line 18: | ||
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
Monotypic. | Monotypic. | ||
| + | |||
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
| − | Heathland, overgrown hedges and ditches. | + | Heathland, overgrown hedges and ditches, and low-intensity farmland. |
==Behaviour== | ==Behaviour== | ||
====Breeding==== | ====Breeding==== | ||
| Line 24: | Line 26: | ||
====Diet==== | ====Diet==== | ||
The diet includes large insects, small birds, voles and lizards.<br /> | The diet includes large insects, small birds, voles and lizards.<br /> | ||
| − | As with most other shrike species, it impales | + | As with most other shrike species, it impales its prey on spikes. |
====Vocalisation==== | ====Vocalisation==== | ||
<flashmp3>Lanius collurio (song).mp3</flashmp3><br /> | <flashmp3>Lanius collurio (song).mp3</flashmp3><br /> | ||
''[[Media:Lanius collurio (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]'' | ''[[Media:Lanius collurio (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]'' | ||
| + | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
#Wikipedia | #Wikipedia | ||
Revision as of 17:55, 16 September 2016
- Lanius collurio
Identification
Length 17 cm, weight 23-34 g
Rufous-brown above and creamy to pink below. Looks 'long' in flight.
Male
Blue-grey head and rump, with a bold black eye-stripe. Black tail with white sides (superficially reminiscent of Northern Wheatear)
Female
Browner; head grey-brown with a dark cheek patch. 'Scaly' with crescent-shaped feather fringes on underparts
Juvenile
Brown above with dark bars. 'Scaly' with crescent-shaped feather fringes covering the body.
Distribution
Red-backed Shrike was formerly a fairly common summer visitor to the UK, but is now only a sporadic breeder. It can still be seen on passage, mainly on the east coast. It still breeds - though often at low density - in most of mainland Europe and northwest Asia (east to western Siberia) between roughly 40° to 65°N latitude. According to The Birds of the Western Palearctic - Concise Edition there were an estimated 200,000 - 210,000 pairs in Ukraine in 1986, and the population is fairly stable. It also breeds in southwest Asia from Turkey to northwest Iran. Further east, it is replaced by Brown Shrike, and southeast, by Isabelline Shrike; some hybridisation with both occurs where their ranges meet.
The birds winter in tropical and southern Africa.
Taxonomy
Monotypic.
Habitat
Heathland, overgrown hedges and ditches, and low-intensity farmland.
Behaviour
Breeding
Nests in trees, bushes or bramble thickets.
Diet
The diet includes large insects, small birds, voles and lizards.
As with most other shrike species, it impales its prey on spikes.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Lanius collurio (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Wikipedia
- Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
- Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
- Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
External Links
