- Lanius excubitor
Identification
Also known as Great Grey Shrike.
22-26 xm. Grey head and back, white belly. Black wings with white patch. Tail black with white outer feathers. Black mask on face and distinctive hooked bill. Whitish throat and chest. Large head. Medium-long tail. Stout bill with hook at end.
Distribution
Taxonomy
Habitat
Upland forests and bogs.
Behaviour
Song is a complex and variable sequence of harsh notes, chatter, trills, and whistles. Calls include a rapid rasping "aak…aak" and a sharp metallic "beek."
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 sing a medley of short liquid trills and whistles and harsh notes and often mimic the calls and songs of other birds such as Blue Jays, Gray Catbirds, American Robins, and Song Sparrows. The call is a harsh shek-shek or a grating jaaeg.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Lanius excubitor (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
