A photo of a Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus), male
Brown Shrike, Male

Brown Shrike

Lanius cristatus

The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the red-backed shrike (L. collurio) and isabelline shrike (L. isabellinus). The genus name, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits. The specific cristatus is Latin for "crested", used in a broader sense than in English. The common English name "shrike" is from Old English scríc, "shriek", referring to the shrill call. Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye and is found mainly in open scrub habitats, where it perches on the tops of thorny bushes in search of prey. Several populations of this widespread species form distinctive subspecies which breed in temperate Asia and migrate to their winter quarters in tropical Asia. They are sometimes found as vagrants in Europe and North America.
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Brown Shrikes on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
🦢
John Oo
Monday 30 Jan 2023 - 4:11am
Malaysia
A map showing the sighting location
🦉
Will Leedham
Saturday 28 Jan 2023 - 2:39am
India
A map showing the sighting location
🦜
Georgi Millwood
Monday 16 Jan 2023 - 8:57am
Cambodia
A photo of a Brown Shrike photographed in Phoumrudol bungalows Cambodia
🦜
Georgi Millwood
Wednesday 11 Jan 2023 - 11:05am
Cambodia
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