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22

Iberian Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) German name(s): "Mittelmeer-Raubwürger" Size: 24-25 cm; wing span 30-34 cm Weight: 50-80 g

Europe: Family Group 22 Family Group 22 Table Great Grey Shrike Iberian Grey Shrike Woodchat Shrike Red-backed Shrike Eurasian Golden Oriole Eurasian Magpie Iberian Magpie Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Iberian Grey Shrikes are medium-sized shrikes. Their front is pinkish-grey with light-grey sides, with a white chin patch, which contrasts sharply with wide dark eye stripes and a grey crown, nape of the neck and mantle. The flight feathers are black, with a small wing patch. They have prominent white wing patches on the coverts. The long, narrow tail is black, with white outer edges. The most notable difference between the two sexes is that in males the eye stripes are black, whereas they are grey in females. In general, female Iberian Grey Shrikes have less colour contrast between their bright and dark parts than males, which makes them look duller. The irises of both sexes are dark-brown. The short, strong, slightly hooked bill is dark-grey. The legs and feet are also dark-grey. Juveniles are slightly paler than adults. During the first summer they can have vermiculated underparts.

Taxonomy, classification See Iberian Grey Shrike at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information The Iberian Grey Shrike has been given species status and is no longer considered to be a race of the Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor).

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Great Grey Shrike is available HERE . The range of the Iberian Grey Shrike is restricted to the Iberian peninsula, including the Pyrenees, and far-southern France. Except the Pyrenees, where they are locally migratory, the species is sedentary throughout its range. Iberian Grey Shrikes have a preference for open arid country, often rocky, with marginal soil, even wasteland, with scattered trees and/or shrubs.

Sightings Click here for sighting information J. Pires reports spotting Iberian Grey Shrikes regularly in the area of Mora, Montargil and Coruche, Portugal. All sighting and photographic information presented on this page has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.

Photos

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a resting male Iberian Grey Shrike; note the black lores (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2014]

Frontal view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike; note the characteristic pinkish hue (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2018]

Near-frontal view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, November 2021]

Lateral view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2018]

Lateral view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, December 2018]

Lateral view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2018]

Lateral view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2020]

Lateral view of a male(?) Iberian Grey Shrike still wet from having a bath
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, February 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike calling from a high perch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2018]

Dorsal view of a male Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, November 2021]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female(?) Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Lateral view of a female Iberian Grey Shrike; note the grey lores (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, December 2018]

Lateral view of a female(?) Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2019]

Lateral view of a female(?) Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2021]

Lateral view of a female(?) Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2021]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a female Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2014]

PAIR

Pair of Iberian Grey Shrikes in a dead tree top, male on the left (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia river, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, December 2018]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of an Iberian Grey Shrike calling from a high perch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2021]

Near-lateral view of an Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of an Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of an Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2019]

Near-lateral view of an Iberian Grey Shrike; note the characteristic pinkish hue (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2016]

Lateral view of a soaking wet Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2014]

Near-dorsal view of an Iberian Grey Shrike (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2021]

Dorsal view of an Iberian Grey Shrike in low flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Iberian Grey Shrike; note the faint facial mask and the pale coverts bar on the wing (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Iberian Grey Shrike; note the faint facial mask (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]

Behaviour

Just like other shrikes of the genus Lanius, Iberian Grey Shrikes are known to spike their prey on thorns for future consumption.

Territorial dispute - Iberian Grey Shrike letting an Iberian Magpie know who is the boss (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, February 2023]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

ibgshrk_jp_20200101.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
ibgshrk_jp_20200329.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
ibgshrk_jp_20200408_2.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
ibgshrk_jp_20200408.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
ibgshrk_jp_20190614.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
ibgshrk_jp_20190528.m4a	(Portugal)	?	© JP
ibgshrk_jp_20190616.m4a	(Portugal)	?	© JP

More Iberian Grey Shrike sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Tue, 13 June 2023, 6:53 +00:00