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Isabelline Shrike
(Lanius isabellinus)
: "Rufous-tailed Shrike"
Size: 16.5-18 cm; wing span 25-28 cm
Weight: 24-38 g
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Isabelline Shrikes are relatively small shrikes. Their
plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and females
are slightly different.
Male Isabelline Shrikes have a black base of the bill connecting
to prominent black eye stripes.
The sides and upper chest are "isabelline", cinnamon-buff, while the
centre of the front is light-grey on the chin and from the lower breast
to undertail coverts.
The frons may have a sandy tinge. Otherwise the head is sandy-grey,
with a narrow isabelline supercilium. The back is sandy-grey,
with dark-grey wing feathers with broad sandy-grey edge lining.
The uppertail is rust-red.
Female Isabelline Shrikes are less conspicuous. They are greyish-brown
where the males are sandy-grey and have greyish-brown eye stripes.
The buffy front is fainly vermiculated, giving them a lightly
scalloped appearance. The back is similar to the males', but
the uppertail is more brownish, rather than rust-red.
The irises of both sexes are dark.
The short, strong, slightly hooked bill of both sexes is grey,
with a dark-grey tip (and sometimes top ridge of the upper mandible).
The legs and feet are grey.
Juvenile
Isabelline Shrikes roughly resemble
females,
but with a brownish-grey malar stripe, rather than black.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Isabelline
Shrike at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat |
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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 Isabelline Shrike is available
HERE
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The breeding grounds of the Isabelline Shrike are in parts
of temperate western and central Asia.
The western Eurasian population winters in tropical eastern
Africa. The central Asian population migrates to Pakistan
and the north-western half of India.
During their migration they can be found, e.g., in south-western
Asia (Iraq, Iran) and parts of the Arabian peninsula.
There are some reports of Isabelline Shrikes from the coastal
parts of central Europe, too.
In Arabia, Isabelline Shrikes are usually observed during
their migration between Africa and Asia. We have found them
on the northern coastline of Oman.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
A small number of Isabelline Shrikes was spotted by us on the
Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, in August-September
2009 and again in November 2009. Both adult males and juvenile
birds were spotted, but photos obtained only of juvenile birds.
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Photos |
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Frontal view of a juvenile Isabelline Shrike looking sideways;
note the greyish-brown malar stripe behind the eye
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Isabelline Shrike looking towards
the observer
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Isabelline Shrike looking for
prey below
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Dorsal view of an Isabelline Shrike looking back at the observer
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Dorsal view of an Isabelline Shrike looking sideways
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Dorsal view of a juvenile Isabelline Shrike
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
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.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
