Lesser Grey Shrike
Lanius minor
The Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor) is a uncommon shrik found in 88 countries, weighing about 46 g. The lesser grey shrike is a passerine bird in the shrike family Laniidae.
About the Lesser Grey Shrike
The lesser grey shrike is a passerine bird in the shrike family Laniidae. It breeds in South and Central Europe and western Asia and migrates to winter quarters in southern Africa in the early autumn, returning in spring. It is a scarce vagrant to western Europe, including Great Britain, usually as a spring or autumn erratic.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult male lesser grey shrike has its nape, cheeks, ear and eye coverts and front part of the crown black. The hind part of the crown and the back is a pale bluish-grey and the rump is a similar but rather paler colour. The underparts are white with the lower breast and belly suffused with pink. The axillaries are greyish-white and the underwing coverts are brownish-black. The two central tail feathers are black with a white tip and base. The other pairs have increasing areas of white and less black. The primaries are black with a buff tip and white base.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, India, Portugal, Ireland, Libya, Burundi, Eritrea.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, November, December, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Lesser Grey Shrike?
- The adult male lesser grey shrike has its nape, cheeks, ear and eye coverts and front part of the crown black. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Lesser Grey Shrike?
- The Lesser Grey Shrike is a small sized bird weighing about 46 g.
- Where can you see a Lesser Grey Shrike?
- The Lesser Grey Shrike occurs in 88 countries, including South Africa, Türkiye, Namibia, Sweden and Israel.
- What birds look similar to a Lesser Grey Shrike?
- The Lesser Grey Shrike is most easily confused with the Bay-backed Shrike, the Bull-headed Shrike and the Isabelline Shrike.
- Is the Lesser Grey Shrike endangered?
- The Lesser Grey Shrike is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Lesser Grey Shrike for real
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