- Lanius sphenocercus
Identification
29–31 cm (11½-12¼ in)
- Pale grey cap and upper back
- Darker grey and white lower back and tail
- White underparts
- Black eye stripe
Distribution
Asia: Mountains of eastern Russia (Amur region) to north-eastern and central China.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly included Giant Grey Shrike.
Habitat
Wetlands, open fields and grassland, low scrub and tall grass margins of rice fields.
Behaviour
Breeding
They construct a large nest from twigs and grasses, placed in a tree. The clutch consists of 4-5 eggs which are incubated by the female for 16-17 days.
Diet
The diet includes small rodents and large insects.
Vocalisation
Heard making two distinct songs, a higher pitched soft churring note followed by a lower pitched two-note song repeated three times.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- BirdsKorea
- BirdForum Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Chinese Grey Shrike. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chinese_Grey_Shrike
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
