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

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(Picture placement, due to layout problems)
(Northern Shrike split)
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'''Includes: Northern Shrike'''
 
 
[[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]]
 
[[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]]
 
;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] excubitor
 
;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] excubitor
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
−
[[Image:Northern Shrike, Wellsboro, PA.jpg|thumb|300px|right|''L. e. borealis''<br />Photo by {{user|GaryT|GaryT}}<br />Wellsboro, [[Pennsylvania]], [[USA]], March 2009]]
 
 
Length 22-26 cm (8½-10¼ in), weight 50-80 g<br />
 
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, flanks and chest (flanks often faintly barred pale grey in females, more strongly so in the Northern Shrike group)
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*White belly, throat, flanks and chest (flanks often faintly barred pale grey in females)
 
*Black wings with white patch at base of primaries
 
*Black wings with white patch at base of primaries
 
*Medium-long tail, black with white outer feathers
 
*Medium-long tail, black with white outer feathers
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*Distinctive stout, hooked black bill
 
*Distinctive stout, hooked black bill
 
'''Juvenile'''
 
'''Juvenile'''
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*In the European group [see Subspecies, below], similar to adult except duller and faintly barred, with dark grey where adult black, and slight pinkish base to bill.
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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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*In the Northern Shrike group, more strongly barred brown below and with a brownish wash; mask indistinct brownish.
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====Similar species====
 
====Similar species====
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In Europe, [[Southern Grey Shrike]] and [[Lesser Grey Shrike]] are potential confusion species, and in North America, [[Loggerhead Shrike]].
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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==
−
Northern [[Dictionary_P-S#P|Palearctic]], Holarctic, and Oriental regions.
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Northern [[Europe]] and northwestern [[Asia]].
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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Complex, and in need of major 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<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>.
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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>.
 
====Subspecies====
 
====Subspecies====
 
[[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 ]]
 
[[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|polytipic]] species currently treated as consisting of nine subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup> in three groups, which may represent separate species.<br />
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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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'''European Group'''
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*''L. e. excubitor'': Western and northern [[Europe]] to northwestern [[Siberia]]
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*''L. e. excubitor'': Western and northern [[Europe]] to western [[Siberia]]
 
 
*''L. e. homeyeri'': Balkan Peninsula to southern Ural Mountains and western Siberia
 
*''L. e. homeyeri'': Balkan Peninsula to southern Ural Mountains and western Siberia
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*''L. e. leucopterus'': Western Siberia to Yenisey River<br />
+
 
−
'''Asian Group'''
+
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''.
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*''L. e. sibiricus'': Eastern Siberia to northern [[Mongolia]] and Kamchatka Peninsula
 
−
*''L. e. bianchii'': Sakhalin and southern Kuril Islands (northern [[Japan]])
 
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*''L. e. mollis'': [[Russia|Russian]] Altai and north-western Mongolia
 
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*''L. e. funereus'': Western [[China]] (Tien Shan Mountains)<br />
 
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'''American Group''' ('''Northern Shrike''')
 
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*''L. e. borealis'': Eastern [[Canada]] (northern areas of [[Labrador]], [[Quebec]], and [[Ontario]]); winters south to northeastern [[USA]]
 
−
*''L. e. invictus'': Northern [[Alaska]] to extreme northern [[British Columbia]] and east to northern [[Manitoba]]; winters south to northwestern [[USA]]
 
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[[Image:Northern Shrike, juvenile.jpg|thumb|350px|right|''L. e. invictus'', juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|eastwood|eastwood}}<br />Brunswick Point, Delta, [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]], December 2006]]
 
  
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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====Vocalisation====
 
====Vocalisation====
 
====Song====
 
====Song====
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A complex and variable medley of short liquid trills, whistles, chatter and harsh notes. The Northern Shrike often mimics 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]]''
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This link searches for videos of Great Grey Shrike
 
This link searches for videos of Great Grey Shrike
 
{{Video|Great_Grey_Shrike}}
 
{{Video|Great_Grey_Shrike}}
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−
 
  
 
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Lanius]][[Category:Bird Songs]][[Category:Videos]]
 
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Lanius]][[Category:Bird Songs]][[Category:Videos]]

Revision as of 14:36, 6 September 2017

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

Identification

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
  • L. e. homeyeri: Balkan Peninsula to southern Ural Mountains and western Siberia

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. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. 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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