Long-tailed Shrike: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe, Asia and Oceania. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © D.A. Ostiarius · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Lanius schach
- Family
- Shrikes
- Size
- About 25 cm
- Habitat
- Open scrub, farmland and forest edge
- Found in
- Europe, Asia and Oceania
The key marks
A long-tailed shrike with a grey crown and back, a black mask, a rusty rump and flanks, and a small white wing patch. Brown Shrike is warm brown on the back and cap, with a shorter tail.
Voice
Harsh, rasping calls and a rambling warbling song.
Good to know
It impales prey on thorns and barbed wire, and often sits upright on a wire or bush top.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Brown Shrike. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open scrub, farmland and forest edge. It is especially common in Nepal and China. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.