Shrikes · Perching birds
Woodchat Shrike
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Lanius senator
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How to recognize it
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17–19 cm, slightly larger and stockier than Red-backed Shrike
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Male with chestnut crown and a black mask through the eyes
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Black-and-white wings, white shoulder patch, white underparts
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Female and young browner, greyer, with a softer, less crisp pattern
About the species
The Woodchat Shrike stands out in open, dry places with scattered trees and bushes. The adult male is especially memorable for its chestnut-red cap, while the overall look is crisp and high-contrast.
It likes to hunt from an exposed perch — a branch, fence, or wire — watching for prey from above. Its voice is noisy and harsh, with rasping calls that can turn into a quick rattling burst, and its song is usually a loud, slightly scratchy trill.
It uses olive groves, orchards, edges, and rocky slopes, and in winter it shifts to savannas and open, lightly treed country. It feeds mainly on large insects, especially grasshoppers, beetles, and cicadas, and leaves southern Europe for Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in the non-breeding season.
Where to find
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In sparse groves with old scattered trees — especially near orchards and olive plantings — Woodchat Shrike is easiest to notice on an exposed perch, scanning for beetles and grasshoppers.
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On dry, rocky slopes and scrubby vacant lots — watch for it on bush tops and fence posts, then a quick drop to the ground after prey.
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Around fruit trees on the city edge — its harsh, rattling call can give it away from the canopy before it briefly freezes on a thick branch.
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Along roadsides with a few trees and patches of bare ground — it often uses wires and low lookouts, surveying the area for large insects.
