About the Long-tailed Shrike
The long-tailed shrike or rufous-backed shrike is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes. They are found widely distributed across Asia and there are variations in plumage across the range. The species ranges across much of Asia, both on the mainland and the eastern archipelagos. The eastern or Himalayan subspecies, L. s. tricolor, is sometimes called the black-headed shrike. Although there are considerable differences in plumage among the subspecies, they all have a long and narrow black tail, have a black mask and forehead, rufous rump and flanks and a small white patch on the shoulder. It is considered to form a superspecies with the grey-backed shrike which breeds on the…
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ID tip
The long-tailed shrike is a typical shrike, favouring dry open habitats and found perched prominently atop a bush or on a wire. The dark mask through the eye is broad and covers the forehead in most subspecies and the whole head is black in subspecies tricolor and nasutus. The tail is narrow and graduated with pale rufous on the outer feathers. Subspecies erythronotus has the grey of the mantle and upper back suffused with rufous while the southern Indian caniceps has pure grey. A small amount of white is present at the base of the primaries.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Long-tailed Shrike lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Netherlands, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Qatar, Russia.
When to see the Long-tailed Shrike
Peak activity in December · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Brown ShrikeLanius cristatusThis shrike is mainly brown on the upper parts and the tail is rounded.
Southern FiscalLanius collarisThis is a fairly distinctive 21–23-cm long passerine with white underparts and black upperparts extending from the top of the head down to the tail.
Great Grey ShrikeLanius excubitorAn adult great grey shrike is a medium-sized passerine about as large as a big thrush, measuring from 22 to 26 cm (8.7 to 10.2 in) long.
Side by side: Long-tailed Shrike vs Red-backed Shrike · Great Grey Shrike vs Long-tailed Shrike · Brown Shrike vs Long-tailed Shrike · Long-tailed Shrike vs Southern Fiscal · Long-tailed Shrike vs Northern Shrike
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