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Difference between revisions of "Great Grey Shrike" - BirdForum Opus

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{{incomplete}}
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[[Image:Lanius excubitor, Spurn.jpg|thumb|550px|right|''L. e. excubitor'', adult<br />Photo by {{user|scottishdude|scottishdude}}<br /> [[Spurn Peninsula|Spurn Point]], [[England]], October 2013]]
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'''Alternative name: Great Grey Shrike'''
 
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[[Image:Northern_Shrike.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|rayh|rayh}}<br />Adult]]
 
 
;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] excubitor
 
;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] excubitor
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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22-26 cm.
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[[Image:Lanius excubitor homeyeri.jpg|thumb|350px|right|''L. e. homeyeri'', adult<br />Photo by {{user|Florian+Andronache|Florian Andronache}}<br />Ploiesti, [[Romania]], January 2013]]
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Length 22-26 cm (8½-10¼ in), weight 50-80 g<br />
 
'''Adult'''
 
'''Adult'''
 
*Grey head and back
 
*Grey head and back
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*White belly, throat and chest
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*White belly, throat, flanks and chest (flanks often faintly barred pale grey in females)
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*Black wings with white patch
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*Black wings with white patch at base of primaries
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*Medium-long tail black with white outer feathers
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*Medium-long tail, black with white outer feathers
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*Black mask on face
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*Black mask on face extending to base of bill, but not over top of bill
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*Distinctive stout, hooked bill
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*Distinctive stout, hooked black bill
 
'''Juvenile'''
 
'''Juvenile'''
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*Barred brown below
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*Similar to adult except duller and faintly barred, with dark grey where adult black, and slight pinkish base to bill.
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*Brownish wash above
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====Similar species====
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In Europe, [[Southern Grey Shrike]] and [[Lesser Grey Shrike]] are potential confusion species, and in north-central Asia, could overlap with [[Northern Shrike]].
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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Northern Palearctic, Holarctic, and Oriental regions.
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Northern [[Europe]] and northwestern [[Asia]].
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<gallery>
 
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Image:Southern-g-shrike-7492.jpg|Photo by {{user|john-henry|john-henry}}<br /> Southern Grey Shrike, ''L. e. meridionalis'' <br />Southern [[Spain]]
 
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Image:Steppe Grey Shrike 2008-11-15-005.jpg|Photo by {{user|Helios|Helios}}<br />Steppe Grey Shrike, ''L. e. pallidirostris''<br />Grainthorpe Haven
 
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</gallery>
 
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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Polytypic. Consists of nine subspecies.
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Complex, and potentially liable to further revision<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>. Was formerly considered conspecific with [[Southern Grey Shrike]], and some populations of this may need to be returned to Great Grey Shike. Populations from northeastern [[Asia]] and [[North America]] formerly included here have recently been split as [[Northern Shrike]]<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>.
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====Subspecies====
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[[Image:IMG 8831anr.jpg|thumb|350px|right|''L. e. excubitor'', first-winter<br />Photo by {{user|IanF|IanF}}<br />Coatham Wood, Longnewton, [[County Durham]], [[UK]], February 2012 ]]
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This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#P|polytypic]] species currently treated as consisting of two subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup><br />
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*''L. e. excubitor'': Western and northern [[Europe]] to northwestern [[Siberia]]
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:*Small white patch at base of primaries; minimal white above black mask
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*''L. e. homeyeri'': Balkan Peninsula to southern Ural Mountains and western Siberia
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:*Large white patch at base of primaries; broader white band above black mask; overall slightly paler than ''L. e. excubitor''
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 +
The two subspecies intergrade where their ranges meet. A further subspecies ''L. e. leucopterus'' (western Siberia to the Yenisey River) was often accepted in the past, but is now included within ''L. e. homeyeri''.
 +
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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Upland forests and bogs.
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Open upland forests and bogs with scattered trees. In winter, heathland, and sometimes farmland.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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Diet includes small mammals and birds and often store uneaten prey by impaling it on thorns. This habit has earned them the nickname "butcher birds." Northern Shrikes commonly hunt from a very high perch usually a tall tree top.
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====Diet====
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Diet includes large insects, small mammals and birds and it often stores uneaten prey by impaling it on thorns. They commonly hunt from a very high perch usually a tall tree top.
 
====Vocalisation====
 
====Vocalisation====
 
====Song====
 
====Song====
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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 Jay]]s, [[Gray Catbird]]s, [[American Robin]]s, and [[Song Sparrow]]s.
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A complex and variable medley of short liquid trills, whistles, chatter and harsh notes.
  
 
<flashmp3>Lanius excubitor (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />''[[Media:Lanius excubitor (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 
<flashmp3>Lanius excubitor (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />''[[Media:Lanius excubitor (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 
====Call====
 
====Call====
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A harsh ''shek-shek'', grating ''jaaeg'', rapid rasping ''aak...aak'', a sharp metallic ''beek''
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A harsh ''shek-shek'', grating ''jaaeg'', rapid rasping ''aak...aak'', a sharp metallic ''beek.''
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug17}}#Olsson, U. et al. (2009). The ''Lanius excubitor'' (Aves, Passeriformes) conundrum — Taxonomic dilemma when molecular and non-molecular data tell different stories. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 55: 347–357.
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{{ref}}
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==External Links==
 
==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Lanius+excubitor}}
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{{GSearch|Shrike+excubitor}}
 
<br />
 
<br />
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This link searches for Great Grey Shrike
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This link searches for videos of Great Grey Shrike
 
{{Video|Great_Grey_Shrike}}
 
{{Video|Great_Grey_Shrike}}
  
 
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Lanius]][[Category:Bird Songs]][[Category:Videos]]
 
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Lanius]][[Category:Bird Songs]][[Category:Videos]]

Revision as of 23:34, 5 March 2018

L. e. excubitor, adult
Photo by scottishdude
Spurn Point, England, October 2013
Lanius excubitor

Identification

L. e. homeyeri, adult
Photo by Florian Andronache
Ploiesti, Romania, January 2013

Length 22-26 cm (8½-10¼ in), weight 50-80 g
Adult

  • Grey head and back
  • White belly, throat, flanks and chest (flanks often faintly barred pale grey in females)
  • Black wings with white patch at base of primaries
  • Medium-long tail, black with white outer feathers
  • Black mask on face extending to base of bill, but not over top of bill
  • Distinctive stout, hooked black bill

Juvenile

  • Similar to adult except duller and faintly barred, with dark grey where adult black, and slight pinkish base to bill.

Similar species

In Europe, Southern Grey Shrike and Lesser Grey Shrike are potential confusion species, and in north-central Asia, could overlap with Northern Shrike.

Distribution

Northern Europe and northwestern Asia.

Taxonomy

Complex, and potentially liable to further revision[2]. Was formerly considered conspecific with Southern Grey Shrike, and some populations of this may need to be returned to Great Grey Shike. Populations from northeastern Asia and North America formerly included here have recently been split as Northern Shrike[2].

Subspecies

L. e. excubitor, first-winter
Photo by IanF
Coatham Wood, Longnewton, County Durham, UK, February 2012

This is a polytypic species currently treated as consisting of two subspecies[1]

  • L. e. excubitor: Western and northern Europe to northwestern Siberia
  • Small white patch at base of primaries; minimal white above black mask
  • L. e. homeyeri: Balkan Peninsula to southern Ural Mountains and western Siberia
  • Large white patch at base of primaries; broader white band above black mask; overall slightly paler than L. e. excubitor

The two subspecies intergrade where their ranges meet. A further subspecies L. e. leucopterus (western Siberia to the Yenisey River) was often accepted in the past, but is now included within L. e. homeyeri.

Habitat

Open upland forests and bogs with scattered trees. In winter, heathland, and sometimes farmland.

Behaviour

Diet

Diet includes large insects, small mammals and birds and it often stores uneaten prey by impaling it on thorns. They commonly hunt from a very high perch usually a tall tree top.

Vocalisation

Song

A complex and variable medley of short liquid trills, whistles, chatter and harsh notes.

<flashmp3>Lanius excubitor (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

Call

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

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Olsson, U. et al. (2009). The Lanius excubitor (Aves, Passeriformes) conundrum — Taxonomic dilemma when molecular and non-molecular data tell different stories. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 55: 347–357.

Recommended Citation

External Links


This link searches for videos of Great Grey Shrike

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