Long-tailed Shrike

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Long-tailed Shrike
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Laniidae Genus: Lanius Species: L. schach
Binomial name
Lanius schach Linnaeus, 1758

The Long-tailed Shrike, Lanius schach, is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes.

It is a common resident breeder throughout the Indomalayan ecozone from Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan through India to New Guinea, found on bushes in scrubby areas and cultivation.

It has some resemblances to the grey shrikes, such as the Southern Grey Shrike, Lanius meridionalis, sharing the pearl grey head and mantle and black mask extending from the forehead, through the eye, to the ear coverts.

It is small for a grey shrike, but has a very long tail with rufous edges. The underparts are white, but with rufous flanks. The bill and legs are nearly black.

This bird has a characteristic upright "shrike" attitude perched on a bush, from which it sallies after lizards, large insects, small birds and rodents.

Prey may be impaled upon a sharp point, such as a thorn. Thus secured they can be ripped with the strong hooked bill, but its feet are not suited for tearing.

Its flight is undulating, but its dash is straight and determined.

There are several races of this species, including the Himalayan L. s. tricolor, which has a black head.

This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe on the strength of a single accepted British record on South Uist in November 2000. It has also occurred as a vagrant to Japan, Oman, Israel, Hungary and Turkey.

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Lanius schach. 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