Long-tailed Shrike
| Long-tailed Shrike | |
|---|---|
_I2-Haryana_IMG_8894.jpg) |
|
| erythronotus race at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India. | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Laniidae |
| Genus: | Lanius |
| Species: | L. schach |
| Binomial name | |
| Lanius schach Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The Long-tailed Shrike or the Rufous-backed Shrike (Lanius schach) is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes. The eastern or Himalayan race, L. s. tricolor, is sometimes called the Black-headed Shrike.
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It is a common resident breeder throughout the Indomalayan ecozone from Kazakhstan, through Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indian peninsula except eastern states,[2] to New Guinea, found on bushes in scrubby areas and cultivation. Winter visitor to southern areas such as southeast India and Sri Lanka.
It has some resemblances to the grey shrikes, such as the Southern Grey Shrike, Lanius meridionalis, sharing the pearl grey head and mantle and black mask extending from the forehead, through the eye, to the ear coverts. An eastern race found in Bhutan to Arunachal Pradesh, sometimes called the Himalayan L. s. tricolor, has a black head extending from the eye mask to the whole crown and nape.[2]
It is small for a grey shrike, but has a very long tail with rufous edges. The underparts are white, but with rufous flanks. The bill and legs are nearly black.
This bird has a characteristic upright "shrike" attitude perched on a bush, from which it sallies after lizards, large insects, small birds and rodents. This species of bird is a popular pet in southeast Asia.
Prey may be impaled upon a sharp point, such as a thorn. Thus secured they can be ripped with the strong hooked bill, but its feet are not suited for tearing.
Its flight is undulating, but its dash is straight and determined.
This species is a very rare vagrant to western Europe on the strength of two accepted records in Great Britain on South Uist in November 2000 and the Netherlands near Den Helder in October 2011. It has also occurred as a vagrant to Japan, Oman, Israel, Hungary, Sweden and Turkey.
[edit] References
- ^ BirdLife International (2004). Lanius schach. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- ^ a b Grewal, Bikram; Bill Harvey and Otto Pfister (2002). Photographic guide to birds of India. Periplus editions / Princeton University Press. p. 242
[edit] Various views and plumages
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tricolor race in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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erythronotus race at Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.
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tricolor race in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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_in_Kolkata_W_IMG_3434.jpg)
-_erythronotus_race_at_Bharatpur_I_IMG_5401.jpg)
_in_Kolkata_W_IMG_4614.jpg)
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- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Lanius
- Birds of Asia
- Birds of Southeast Asia
- Birds of Afghanistan
- Birds of Thailand
- Birds of Laos
- Birds of Cambodia
- Birds of Bangladesh
- Birds of Bhutan
- Birds of China
- Birds of India
- Birds of Indonesia
- Birds of Malaysia
- Birds of Burma
- Birds of Nepal
- Birds of Iran
- Birds of Kazakhstan
- Birds of Vietnam
- Birds of Pakistan
- Birds of Papua New Guinea
- Birds of the Philippines
- Birds of Taiwan
- Birds of Tajikistan
- Birds of Turkmenistan
- Birds of Turkey
