Yellow-billed Shrike
Corvinella corvina
The Yellow-billed Shrike (Corvinella corvina) is a rare shrik found in 18 countries, weighing about 65 g. The yellow-billed shrike is a large passerine bird in the shrike family.
About the Yellow-billed Shrike
The yellow-billed shrike is a large passerine bird in the shrike family. It is sometimes known as the long-tailed shrike, but this invites confusion with the long-tailed shrike, Lanius schach, of tropical southern Asia. It is the only species placed in the genus Corvinella. The yellow-billed shrike is a common resident breeding bird in tropical Africa from Senegal eastwards to Uganda and locally in westernmost Kenya. It frequents forest and other habitats with trees.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The yellow-billed shrike is 32 cm (13 in) with a long, graduating tail and short wings. The adult has mottled brown upperparts and streaked buff underparts. It has a brown eye mask and a rufous wing patch, and the bill is yellow. Sexes are largely similar, but females have maroon patches on the flanks, while males have rufous parches; these patches are only visible when the bird is in flight, displaying, engaging in territorial disputes, or preening. Immature birds show buff fringes to the wing feathers. The legs and feet are black, and the beak is yellow, even in juveniles.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Chad, South Sudan.
When to see it
The Yellow-billed Shrike can be seen all year round, with peak activity in December. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Yellow-billed Shrike?
- The yellow-billed shrike is 32 cm (13 in) with a long, graduating tail and short wings. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Yellow-billed Shrike?
- The Yellow-billed Shrike is a medium sized bird weighing about 65 g.
- Where can you see a Yellow-billed Shrike?
- The Yellow-billed Shrike occurs in 18 countries, including Nigeria, the Gambia, Ghana, Senegal and Uganda.
- What birds look similar to a Yellow-billed Shrike?
- The Yellow-billed Shrike is most easily confused with the Burmese Shrike, the Long-tailed Fiscal and the Tiger Shrike.
- Is the Yellow-billed Shrike endangered?
- The Yellow-billed Shrike is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Yellow-billed Shrike for real
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