• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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

Page Discussion
View source History
(Flight picture. Subspecies. References)
 
(32 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
'''Alternative name: 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:Northern_Shrike.jpg|thumb|450px|right|Photo by {{user|rayh|rayh}}<br /> [[Spurn Peninsula|Spurn Point]], [[England]], October 2003]]
 
 
;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] excubitor
 
;[[:Category:Lanius|Lanius]] excubitor
 +
'''Includes Steppe Grey Shrike'''
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
−
22-26 cm<br />
+
[[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]]
 +
Length 22-26 cm (8½-10¼ in), weight 50-80 g<br />
 
'''Adult'''
 
'''Adult'''
 
*Grey head and back
 
*Grey head and back
−
*White belly, throat and chest
+
*White belly, throat, flanks and chest (flanks often faintly barred pale grey in females)
−
*Black wings with white patch
+
*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
−
*Black mask on face
+
*Black mask on face extending to base of bill, but not over top of bill
−
*Distinctive stout, hooked bill
+
*Distinctive stout, hooked black bill
 
'''Juvenile'''
 
'''Juvenile'''
−
*Barred brown below
+
*Similar to adult except duller and faintly barred, with dark grey where adult black, and slight pinkish base to bill.
−
*Brownish wash above
+
====Variation====
 +
[[Image:Lanius meridionalis lahtora.jpg|thumb|350px|right|''L. e. lahtora''<br />Photo by {{user|aloktewari|aloktewari}}<br />Gurgaon, Haryana, [[India]]; September 2015]]
 +
Populations differ in color of both upper- and underside, extent of white on scapulars, wings and tail, size and shape of black mask and bill, and in presence vs absence of and if present in color of supercilium. See more in the taxonomy section. 
 +
 
 +
====Similar species====
 +
In Europe, [[Iberian Grey Shrike]] and [[Lesser Grey Shrike]] are potential confusion species, and in north-central Asia, could overlap with [[Northern Shrike]].
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
−
[[Image:IMG 8831anr.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|IanF|IanF}}<br />Coatham Wood, Longnewton, [[County Durham]], [[UK]], February 2012 ]]
+
[[Europe]], [[Africa]] and [[Asia]].<br />
−
Northern [[Dictionary_P-S#P|PaleaIMG 8831anr.jpgrctic]], Holarctic, and Oriental regions.
+
Breeds in most of '''Europe''' except the Iberian Peninsula but including [[Canary Islands]], [[Gran Canaria]], [[Lanzarote]], [[Tenerife]]<br />
 +
'''Northern Africa''': [[Morocco]], [[Algeria]], [[Tunisia]], [[Libya]], [[Egypt]]<br />
 +
'''Western Africa''': [[Mauritania]], [[Senegambia]], [[Senegal]], [[The Gambia]], [[Mali]], [[Burkina Faso]], [[Nigeria]], [[Niger]], [[Chad]], [[Cameroon]]<br />
 +
[[Image:Steppe Grey Shrike, IOM.jpg|thumb|350px|right|''L. e. pallidirostris''<br />Photo by {{user|CJW|CJW}}<br /> [[Isle of Man]], July 2003]]
 +
'''Eastern Africa''': [[Sudan]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], [[Somalia]]<br />
 +
'''Middle East''': [[Turkey]], [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], [[Israel]], [[Jordan]], [[Arabian Peninsula]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]], [[Socotra]], [[Oman]], [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Kuwait]], [[Iraq]], [[Iran]], [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Georgia]]<br />
 +
'''Asia''': [[Kazakhstan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Mongolia]], northwesternmost [[China]], northern [[Pakistan]], northwestern [[India]]
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
−
Was formerly considered conspecific with [[Southern Grey Shrike]].
+
Complex, and potentially liable to further revision<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>. A large number of subspecies were split as [[Southern Grey Shrike]]. One subspecies was left there but renamed to [[Iberian Grey Shrike]], but most were returned to Great Grey Shrike for now.  Populations from northeastern [[Asia]] and [[North America]] formerly included here have recently been split as [[Northern Shrike]]<sup>[[#References|[1, 2]]]</sup>. Whether more splits are coming is an open question.
 
====Subspecies====
 
====Subspecies====
−
This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#P|polytipic]] species consisting of nine subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.<br />:
+
[[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 ]]
−
'''European Group'''
+
This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#P|polytypic]] species consisting of 12 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup> (however, notice that not all resources agree on which subspecies are valid)<br />
−
*''L. e. excubitor ''': Western and northern [[Europe]] to western [[Siberia]]
+
*''L. e. excubitor''
−
*''L. e.r homeyeri''': Balkan Peninsula to southern Ural Mountains and western Siberia
+
:* Western and northern [[Europe]] to northwestern [[Siberia]]
−
*''L. e. leucopterus'': Western Siberia to Yenisey River<br />
+
::*Small white patch at base of primaries; minimal white above black mask
−
'''Asian Group'''
+
*''L. e. homeyeri''
−
*''L. e. sibiricus'': Eastern Siberia to northern [[Mongolia]] and Kamchatka Peninsula
+
:* Balkan Peninsula to southern Ural Mountains and western Siberia
−
*''L. e. bianchii'': Sakhalin and southern Kuril Islands (northern [[Japan]])
+
::*Large white patch at base of primaries; broader white band above black mask; overall slightly paler than ''L. e. excubitor''
−
*''L. e. mollis'': [[Russia|Russian]] Altai and north-western Mongolia
+
*''L. e. leucopterus'':
−
*''L. e. funereus'': Western [[China]] (Tien Shan Mountains)<br />
+
:*West [[Siberia]] to Yenisey River
−
'''American Group'''
+
*''L. e. koenigi'':
−
*''L. e. invictus'': Northern [[Alaska]] to extreme northern [[British Columbia]] and [[Alberta]]
+
:*[[Canary Islands]]
−
*''L. e. borealis'': Eastern [[Canada]] ([[Quebec]] and northern [[Ontario]]); winters to north eastern [[US]]
+
::*Upperparts dark grey, underparts light grey; similar to ''L. m. algeriensis'' but slightly smaller
 +
*''L. e. algeriensis'':
 +
:*[[Morocco]] (north of Atlas Mountains), coastal northern [[Algeria]] and [[Tunisia]]
 +
::*Upperparts dark grey, underparts light grey
 +
*''L. e. elegans'':
 +
:*North Sahara ([[Mauritania]] to Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea)
 +
::*Upperparts light grey, underparts white
 +
*''L. e. leucopygos'':
 +
:*Southern Sahara and Sahel from [[Mauritania]] to western and central [[Sudan]]
 +
::*Upperparts very light grey, rump and underparts white
 +
*''L. e. aucheri'':
 +
:*Eastern [[Sudan]] south to northern [[Somalia]]; southern [[Lebanon]], [[Israel]], [[Jordan]], and [[Arabia|Arabian Peninsula]] east to [[Iran]]
 +
::*Upperparts mid grey, underparts white
 +
*''L. e. buryi:
 +
:'*[[Yemen]]; vagrant to [[Djibouti]] and [[Ethiopia]]
 +
::*Darkest subspecies; very dark grey mantle, dusky grey below, supercilium and scapulars grey, not white
 +
*''L. e. uncinatus'':
 +
:*[[Socotra]]
 +
::*Similar to ''L. m. aucheri'' but with less white on scapulars, and slightly longer bill
 +
*''L. e. pallidirostris'':
 +
:*Breeds from southwestern [[Russia]] and northeastern Iran east to southern [[Mongolia]], western [[China]], southeastern [[Afghanistan]], and southwestern [[Pakistan]]; partially migratory, south of northeastern [[Africa]] (to Sudan, northwestern Somalia), the Arabian Peninsula, and northwestern [[India]]
 +
::*Upperparts light grey, rump and underparts white; extensive white in wings; black mask narrow; bill often pale-based even in some adults (though black in many adults)
 +
*''L. e. lahtora'':
 +
:*East Pakistan and northern India
 +
::*Upperparts mid grey, underparts white; similar to ''L. m. aucheri'' but more extensive white on secondary tips, and black mask extends across top of bill
 +
A couple of these have common names attached to them: ''L. e. pallidirostris'' is Steppe Grey Shrike, and ''L. e. lahtora'' is Indian Grey Shrike. Steppe Grey Shrike has been split as a full species in the past and may become one again.
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
−
Upland forests and bogs.
+
Open upland forests and bogs with scattered trees. In winter, heathland, and sometimes farmland.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
 
====Diet====
 
====Diet====
−
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". They commonly hunt from a very high perch usually a tall tree top.
+
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====
−
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.
+
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]]''
+
{{ Audio|Lanius excubitor (song).mp3 }}
 
====Call====
 
====Call====
 
A harsh ''shek-shek'', grating ''jaaeg'', rapid rasping ''aak...aak'', a sharp metallic ''beek.''
 
A harsh ''shek-shek'', grating ''jaaeg'', rapid rasping ''aak...aak'', a sharp metallic ''beek.''
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug13}}
+
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}#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.
 +
#Yosef, R., ISWG International Shrike Working Group, C. J. Sharpe, J. S. Marks, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Great Gray Shrike (Lanius excubitor), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.norshr1.01
 
{{ref}}
 
{{ref}}
 +
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
−
{{GSearch|Shrike+excubitor}}
+
{{GSearch|excubitor {{!}} "Great Grey" {{!}} "Steppe Grey" + shrike}}
 +
<br />
 +
{{VSearch| "Lanius excubitor" {{!}} "Great Grey Shrike" {{!}} "Steppe Grey Shrike"}}
 +
{{GS-checked}}1
 +
<br />
 
<br />
 
<br />
−
This link searches for 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]]

Latest revision as of 23:31, 13 July 2023

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

Includes Steppe Grey Shrike

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.

Variation

L. e. lahtora
Photo by aloktewari
Gurgaon, Haryana, India; September 2015

Populations differ in color of both upper- and underside, extent of white on scapulars, wings and tail, size and shape of black mask and bill, and in presence vs absence of and if present in color of supercilium. See more in the taxonomy section.

Similar species

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

Distribution

Europe, Africa and Asia.
Breeds in most of Europe except the Iberian Peninsula but including Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife
Northern Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon

L. e. pallidirostris
Photo by CJW
Isle of Man, July 2003

Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia
Middle East: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Socotra, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Asia: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, northwesternmost China, northern Pakistan, northwestern India

Taxonomy

Complex, and potentially liable to further revision[2]. A large number of subspecies were split as Southern Grey Shrike. One subspecies was left there but renamed to Iberian Grey Shrike, but most were returned to Great Grey Shrike for now. Populations from northeastern Asia and North America formerly included here have recently been split as Northern Shrike[1, 2]. Whether more splits are coming is an open question.

Subspecies

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

This is a polytypic species consisting of 12 subspecies[1] (however, notice that not all resources agree on which subspecies are valid)

  • L. e. excubitor
  • 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
  • L. e. leucopterus:
  • L. e. koenigi:
  • Upperparts dark grey, underparts light grey; similar to L. m. algeriensis but slightly smaller
  • L. e. algeriensis:
  • Upperparts dark grey, underparts light grey
  • L. e. elegans:
  • North Sahara (Mauritania to Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea)
  • Upperparts light grey, underparts white
  • L. e. leucopygos:
  • Upperparts very light grey, rump and underparts white
  • L. e. aucheri:
  • Upperparts mid grey, underparts white
  • L. e. buryi:
'*Yemen; vagrant to Djibouti and Ethiopia
  • Darkest subspecies; very dark grey mantle, dusky grey below, supercilium and scapulars grey, not white
  • L. e. uncinatus:
  • Similar to L. m. aucheri but with less white on scapulars, and slightly longer bill
  • L. e. pallidirostris:
  • Breeds from southwestern Russia and northeastern Iran east to southern Mongolia, western China, southeastern Afghanistan, and southwestern Pakistan; partially migratory, south of northeastern Africa (to Sudan, northwestern Somalia), the Arabian Peninsula, and northwestern India
  • Upperparts light grey, rump and underparts white; extensive white in wings; black mask narrow; bill often pale-based even in some adults (though black in many adults)
  • L. e. lahtora:
  • East Pakistan and northern India
  • Upperparts mid grey, underparts white; similar to L. m. aucheri but more extensive white on secondary tips, and black mask extends across top of bill

A couple of these have common names attached to them: L. e. pallidirostris is Steppe Grey Shrike, and L. e. lahtora is Indian Grey Shrike. Steppe Grey Shrike has been split as a full species in the past and may become one again.

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.

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, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. 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.
  3. Yosef, R., ISWG International Shrike Working Group, C. J. Sharpe, J. S. Marks, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Great Gray Shrike (Lanius excubitor), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.norshr1.01

Recommended Citation

External Links


GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

Retrieved from ‘https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/index.php?title=Great_Grey_Shrike&oldid=266351’
Back
Top