Woodchat Shrike

Photo by Raydes
Ancient Andissa, Lesvos, Greece, May 2004

Lanius senator

Identification

19cm
Black forehead and broad patch around each eye, chestnut-red cowl on rear crown and upper mantle, oval shoulder patches.
Female and Juvenile - dull brown upperparts which are vermiculated, buff underparts also vermiculated.

Distribution

Juvenile
Photo by Averity
Menorca, September 2006

Breeds in southern Europe, the Middle East and northwest Africa. Winters in Africa.
Europe: Scandinavia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Spain, Ibiza, Mallorca, Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, Gibraltar, Andorra, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, Italy, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova
Northern Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
Middle East: Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Asia: Russia, Afghanistan

Photo by lior kislev
Bacha valley,Golan, Israel, April 2011

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[1]:

• L. s. senator:

• Europe (Spain to western Turkey) and northern Africa; winters to central Africa

• L. s. badius: (Balearic Woodchat Shrike)^[2]

• Western Mediterranean islands; winters to central Africa

• L. s. niloticus:

• Eastern Turkey and Levant to Iran; winters to central Africa

Lanius senator niloticus is not recognised by some authorities^[2]

Habitat

Open country with scattered trees and bushes; olive groves and orchards.

Behaviour

Has a habit of perching on prominent branches and posts.

Breeding

Nests in trees

Diet

The diet includes insects, beetles, damsel flies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, wasps and bees, which are impaled on thorns.

Vocalisation

A harsh chattering
<flashmp3>Lanius senator (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
4. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
5. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Woodchat Shrike. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Woodchat_Shrike

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