Shrikes · Perching birds
Red-backed Shrike
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Lanius collurio
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Voice
Song
Jochem verweij
Alarm
Jochem verweij
Call
Pascal Christe
How to recognize it
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16–18 cm, like a large sparrow
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Male: grey head with a black eye stripe
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Rufous-red back, underparts faintly pink
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Black-and-white tail; often perches on exposed posts or bushes
About the species
The Red-backed Shrike has a compact, watchful look, like a small lookout on a perch. The male is especially memorable with its reddish back, grey head, and dark line through the eye, while females and young ones look softer and browner.
It spends a lot of time sitting out in the open, scanning for prey before dropping on large insects and small vertebrates. Its voice is not musical but sharp and scratchy, and around the nest it can be bold and aggressive.
It breeds across Europe and western Asia and spends the winter in tropical Africa, travelling mostly by night. It uses places with shrubs, trees, and good perches for hunting, and can still be seen in Britain on passage.
Where to find
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On the edges of old city parks and overgrown vacant lots — it perches on bush tops and poles, scanning for prey.
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Along canal banks, pond margins, and reed-fringed shores — watch for quick darts after large insects and sharp calls from an open branch.
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By roadside thickets and barbed wire — it often uses a high perch, then may impale prey on thorns.
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Near meadow-like edges and open strips by the city — it sits on lone shrubs and low trees, moving between grass and canopy.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Lanius collurio Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Red-backed shrike Encyclopedia article