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Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) German name(s): "Neuntöter", "Rotrückenwürger" Size: 16-18 cm; wing span 24-27 cm Body mass: 23-36 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.20-0.25

Europe: Family Group 22 Family Group 22 Table Great Grey Shrike Iberian Grey Shrike Lesser 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 Red-backed Shrikes are small insectivore birds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different. Male Red-backed Shrikes have a grey head with a prominent black facial mask and light-grey cheeks. Their chest and flanks are slightly pinkish grey, while the wing covers are a rich chestnut tint, which gives the species its name. Their rump is grey. The flight feathers are black, as is the uppertail. The belly and vent are light-grey, while the undertail coverts are whitish. Females have grey-brown crown, grey nape of the neck and dark grey-brown malar stripes behind the eyes. The chin, chest and flanks are grey with light-brown fringes to the feathers, producing a finely scalloped appearance. The centre of the chest, the belly, vent and undertail coverts are light-grey. Their wing coverts are brown, while the flight feathers are black with brown edges. The uppertail is dark-grey. Both sexes have a short, stubby, slightly hooked dark-grey bill. The irises are dark; the legs and feet are dark-grey. Juveniles resemble females, with slightly duller colours.

Taxonomy, classification See Red-backed Shrike at Wikipedia .

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 Red-backed Shrike is available HERE . Red-backed Shrikes are a strongly migratory species. Their breeding grounds encompass a wide range from northern Spain and the rest of the Mediterranean towards the East via central and eastern Europe into Asia. The northern boundary of their breeding range is southern Scandinavia, in the South they go as far as Turkey and the Caucasus mountain range. On their migration they can be found in parts of the Middle East, Arabia and eastern Africa, e.g. along the river Nile. They spend the northern winters in tropical sub-Saharan Africa. In Europe Red-backed Shrikes breed anywhere except southern and central Iberia, the northern French and Benelux Atlantic/ North Sea coast, the British Isles and central to northern Scandinavia. Red-backed Shrikes have a preference for relatively open country, such as heather or meadows, with suitable perches such as scattered trees, shrubs and hedgerows, also for nesting.

Sightings Click here for sighting information D. Wilczynska reports spotting Red-backed Shrikes regularly during the breeding season in central Poland, e.g. on the river Bug, near Brok, Masovia, near Malkinia, Masovia, and near Malinowo. S. Cuturilov reports spotting a Red-backed Shrike on Zlatar mountain, south-western Serbia, in June 2017. Others were found by A. Sarok in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. G. Normand found a Red-backed Shrike at Pere Lachaise cemetery, 20th district, Paris, France, in July 2020. In August 2021, two families of Red-backed Shrikes were found by G. Normand - one at Kruje, Albania, and another at Valbone, Albania. In the past we spotted a Red-backed Shrike once in the Eifel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Pair of Red-backed Shrikes, with the male on the right and the female on the left (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2018]

Pair of Red-backed Shrikes (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

MALE

Distant frontal view of a male Red-backed Shrike - note the prominent black facial mask; this bird has a pink front
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, June 2019]

Frontal view of a male Red-backed Shrike fanning its tail; note the prominent black facial mask
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]

Frontal view of a male Red-backed Shrike looking sideways - note the prominent black facial mask; this bird has almost no pink on its front (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Shrike; note the prominent black facial mask and the rich colours of the body plumage (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a wet preening male Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2018]

Dorsal view of a male Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2018]

Near-frontal view of a female Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Pere Lachaise cemetery, 20th district, Paris, France, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a female Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a female Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2018]

Dorsal view of a female Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature male Red-backed Shrike with its head turned away (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]

Frontal view of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike looking sideways; note the prominent scalloping of the head (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Frontal view of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike; note the prominent scalloping of the head and the brownish hues on the side of the head (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Frontal view of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike looking sideways (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike looking sideways (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Valbone, Albania, August 2021]

Family of Red-backed Shrikes with a juvenile, left (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Kruje, Albania, August 2021]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

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

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Shrike perched characteristically in a shrub, scanning the surroundings for prey
(photo courtesy of Beata from Warsaw)
[Biebrza National Park, Poland, June 2016]

Food, Diet

Near-lateral view of a male Red-backed Shrike with its prey, a beetle (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Shrike with its prey (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, river Bug, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]

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.

rebshrk_dw_20160526.m4a	(Poland)	Territorial calls (male)	© DW
rebshrk_dw_20160713.m4a	(Poland)	Warning calls (male)	© DW
rebshrk_dw_20160713_2.m4a	(Poland)	Warning calls (male)	© DW

More Red-backed 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.

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