Long-tailed Shrike

Taxobox
name = Long-tailed Shrike
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
status_ref = [IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2004|id=50964|title=Lanius schach|downloaded=12 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern]


image_caption = "erythronotus race" at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India.
image_width = 240px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Laniidae
genus = "Lanius"
species = "L. schach"
binomial = "Lanius schach"
binomial_authority = Linnaeus, 1758The Long-tailed Shrike or the Rufous-backed Shrike ("Lanius schach") is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes. The eastern or Himalayan race, "L. s. tricolor", is sometimes called the Black-headed Shrike.

It is a common resident breeder throughout the Indomalayan ecozone from Kazakhstan, through Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indian peninsula except eastern statescite book
title = Photographic guide to birds of India
last = Grewal
first = Bikram
authorlink = Bikram Grewal
coauthors = Bill Harvey and Otto Pfister
publisher = Periplus editions / Princeton University Press
address = Hong Kong
year = 2002 p. 242] , to New Guinea, found on bushes in scrubby areas and cultivation. Winter visitor to southern areas such as southeast India and Sri Lanka.

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. An eastern race found in Bhutan to Arunachal Pradesh, sometimes calledthe Himalayan "L. s. tricolor", has a black head extending fromthe eye mask to the whole crown and nape.

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.

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.

References

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