Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor)
Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

The Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) is a large, predatory songbird of the shrike family, Laniidae. Both sexes exhibit similar plumage, characterized by a pearly grey back, a distinctive black eye-mask, and pristine white underparts.

Identification Tips

Adults are medium-sized passerines, comparable in size to a large thrush, measuring 22 to 26 cm in length. They possess a black, hooked beak with a pale base, black wings with a white bar, and a long, black, pointed tail with white outer feathers. The upperparts are a pearl grey, while the underparts are white with a possible grey tinge.

Habitat

The Great Grey Shrike favors open grasslands with scattered trees or shrubs, which provide vantage points for hunting. It is also found in bogs, clearings, and non-industrially farmed fields.

Distribution

This species breeds primarily north of the 50° northern latitude in Europe and Asia, with most populations migrating south to temperate regions during winter. It is a vagrant in Iceland, the British Isles, the Mediterranean, and Korea.

Behaviour

The Great Grey Shrike is territorial and may breed in loose colonies. It is known for its habit of impaling prey on thorns or barbed wire, earning it the nickname "butcher bird." It is also a vigilant sentinel, often perching atop trees or poles to survey its territory.

Song & Calls

The male's song is a mix of warbles and whistles, while alarm calls are harsh and shrill. It may mimic the calls of small songbirds to lure them within striking distance.

Breeding

Breeding occurs in the summer, with nests built in trees at varying heights. The species is monogamous during the breeding season, with courtship involving food offerings and duets between mates.

Similar Species

The Great Grey Shrike can be confused with its southern relatives, such as the Iberian Grey Shrike (L. meridionalis) and the Lesser Grey Shrike (L. minor), but differences in plumage and habitat preferences aid in distinguishing them.

Diet and Feeding

The diet is predominantly small rodents and large insects. Hunting involves perching high to spot prey, then swooping down or hovering to capture it. Prey is often stored in a "larder" for later consumption.

Conservation Status

The Great Grey Shrike is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though its populations have been declining in Europe since the 1970s, likely due to changes in land use and pesticide application.

Great Grey Shrike Sounds



Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Great Grey Shrikes on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Shrikes

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Chudbond
Love Birda
I love this app. It really encourages you to log your sightings and the community is friendly and helpful.
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
Trevarthen1
Birda fan
I really enjoy using Birda, all sightings are recorded and photos can be added. There are monthly challenges which help to get you out to record your sightings. The Birda community are great and are happy to help with unidentified bird sightings. Suitable for all ages and experience!
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.