Brown Shrike
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| Lanius cristatus Linnaeus, 1758 |
The Brown Shrike, Lanius cristatus, is a small passerine bird in the shrike family. It was formerly often considered conspecific with the closely-related Red-backed Shrike, L. collurio, and Isabelline Shrike, L. isabellinus.
This bird breeds across central and eastern Asia. It is migratory, wintering south to India, southeast Asia and Indonesia. A wide range of habitats is used for breeding, from taiga and deciduous forest to semi-desert. It builds its nest in a tree or bush, laying 2-6 eggs.
In winter, Brown Shrike is found in secondary forest, often close to human habitation. This species is a rare vagrant to Europe, and has been recorded in Nova Scotia, Canada.
The food is mainly insects and small birds and mammals, caught by a sally from a prominent perch. This is a typical shrike hunting technique.
Brown Shrike is a small shrike. Like its relatives, it is long-tailed, and perches quite upright. The adult male's upper parts and crown are darkish brown. The face is white with the typical shrike black "bandit-mask" through the eye. Underparts are yellowish buff, although the hues vary somewhat between the different races.
Females are less contrasted and have a greyer crown. Immature Brown Shrikes are scalloped on the underparts.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Lanius cristatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
