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 .

brown shrike

the brown shrike , lanius cristatus , is a small passerine bird in the shrike family .
brown shrike is a small shrike . like its relatives , it is long - tailed , and perches quite upright .
brown shrike lanius cristatus , out skerries , shetland , october 2016 . michael mckee
male brown shrike ( ssp confusus ) from changi cove . photo credit : francis yap
brown shrike ( lanius cristatus ) is a species of bird in the laniidae family .
neo ng’s image of a brown shrike ( lanius cristatus ) , also known as red - tailed shrike , with . . .
a significant number of brown shrike seen in south korea in spring do not conform well with the plates of brown shrike in worfolk ( 2000 ) or robson ( 2000 ) .
one species of shrike in one genus occurs as a vagrant in the south pacific and palau . this species is the brown shrike .
information on the brown shrike is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
the sound is extracted from the video i have taken while i was shooting the brown shrike .
male brown shrike ( ssp confusus ) from jurong west street 22 . photo credit : francis yap
“could had been intergrades or even the ‘isabelline’ group of brown shrike recently shifted into the brown shrike species , but so far i had failed to see the resemblance of it with isabelline shrikes as well .
contains a brief review of criteria often cited for separating adult brown from isabelline shrike ( with lesser attention given to red - backed shrike l . collurio )
like all true shrikes , the brown shrike is a sit - and - wait predator , hunting from a perch .
based on available literature , a pale sandy - brown shrike showing a contrastingly orange - tinged tail is most likely an isabelline . as svensson ( 1992 ) notes , however , not all isabelline shrike show an orange tinge to the tail , while some red - backed shrike show rufous tones , and a significant percentage of brown shrike also do .
fig . 16 : male brown shrike , south korea , may . nial moores may 2004 . confusus - type brown shrike with a significant white patch at the base of the primaries , and some grayish wash to the scapulars recalling phoenicuroides .
fig . 17 : presumably male brown shrike , south korea , may . nial moores a second confusus or cristatus type brown shrike showing a significant white patch strongly suggesting phoenicuroides isabelline . or is it indeed an isabelline ? compare with fig 18 .
the taxonomy and systematics of the brown shrike and its relatives are rather complex . for a long time the red - backed (
as noted by svensson ( 2003 ) the closely - related isabelline shrike forms a complex
worse than a magpie’s nest
, and it seems rather likely that brown shrike does too . until much more detailed research has been conducted , it seems inappropriate therefore to consider the various taxa of brown shrike as full species .
three out of four subspecies of brown shrike show reddish or reddish - brown upperparts and strongly yellow - buff ventrally and on the flanks , while all subspecies of isabelline shrike except phoenicuroides show sandier or grayer tones to the upperparts . with the exception perhaps of isabellinus most isabelline also have rather less saturated coloration on the underparts than most brown .
although most brown shrike should be easily identifiable to species on a combination of characters , a few individuals show one or more characters that are much more strongly associated with isabelline shrike . that such characters can be shown by brown shrike seems inadequately referred to in much of the available literature , and as such could well lead to misidentification of some extralimital birds .
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fig . 22 : isabelline shrike , oman , november . bjorn johansson . pale lores with contrasting darker ear coverts , and a contrastingly reddish - brown tail are often considered enough to clinch identification as an isabelline shrike .
during migration , the brown shrike rests a lot between hunting bouts . interactions often occur with small groups of migrating shrikes that land in an area before heading out to sea , probably towards the philippines . in taiwan , the brown shrike is known for maintaining feeding territories while on migration , and for defending them .
fig . 4 : two brown shrike ( of group of 10 ) , may , south korea , © nial moores although highly variable , most brown shrike are easily separated from bull - headed shrike by structural and plumage differences . however , their structure is largely shared by isabelline shrike . on left , female lucionensis ( probably first summer ) ; on right , a
sandy - backed
individual , probably confusus , close in upperpart coloration to some isabelline .
“i went to this corner in the neighbourhood where i usually see a shrike every year during the migration period . brown shrikes ( lanius cristatus cristatus ) are supposed to return to same wintering sites . ( see : lucia liu severinghaus . territory strategy of the migratory brown shrike lanius cristatus . ibis1996 , vol 138 ( 3 ) : 460–465 and lord medway . a ringing study of the migratory brown shrike in west malaysia . ibis1970 , 112 ( 2 ) : 184 - 198 . )
it ' s not a tiger , brown , or mountain shrike because of the long tail , rufous coloration far up the body , and black
mask
.
fig . 20 : female brown shrike , south korea , may . nial moores browny - black ear coverts , brown lores and strong vermiculations on the underparts identify this as a female ; the all - dark bill combined with the lack of white in the supercilium or on the forehead suggest most likely that is a confusus or cristatus brown .
introduction : the brown shrike is a small , migratory shrike , often seen perched in upright stance . this is a very typical shrike that hunts from perches and impales prey on horny branches . this species breeds in central and eastern asia , and spends the winter in india , se asia and indonesia . it frequents open country with bushes and scattered trees . the brown shrike has four subspecies that differ in plumage pattern and coloration . this species is not globally threatened , although its population is declining .
common migrant . noisy and conspicuous . very aggressive , preying on large insects , small birds and mammals . club members have witnessed brown shrike preying on bats and mice .
the brown shrike found at halisahar , ( near naihati , north 24 pgs , west bengal ) sat on a wire . the bird is a small but . . .
the brown shrike adult male of nominate race has rufous - brown crown and nape and slightly duller upperparts , except the rump and the uppertail - coverts that are slightly brighter . the upperwing is mostly dark brown with wing - coverts and inner flight - feathers edged whitish . the tail is dull rufous , with paler edges and tips on outer rectrices .
fig . 18 : phoenicuroides isabelline shrike , may , kazakhstan . bjorn johansson . rather similar to the individual in fig 17 , this individual ( presumably with a concealed white patch ) would likely be identified as brown shrike had it appeared in south korea .
the brown shrike is a small shrike . like its relatives , it is long - tailed , and perches quite upright . the adult males upper parts and crown are darkish brown . the face is white with the typical shrike black - bandit - mask - through the eye . underparts are yellowish buff , although the hues vary somewhat between the different races . its call is a harsh chatter that pierces the early morning air . females are less contrasted and have a greyer crown . immature brown shrikes are scalloped on the underparts .
fig . 21 : female brown shrike , south korea , may . nial moores although most brown shrike females are dark - lored , very occasional individuals show largely pale lores , and isolated ear coverts suggesting red - backed or isabelline shrike . this is presumably a second calendar year bird . again , note the pale buffy tips to the outer tail feathers , the lack of grayish tones on the nape , and the rather dark bill .
lanius schach nasutus , the long - tailed shrike of the philippines has an all - black head but this bird does not . it also has a longer tail than this one . this one does look very like lanius cristatus lucionensis , the philippine brown shrike .
the brown shrike has relatively straight , swift flight with rapid wingbeats . from a study of migrant brown shrike in malay peninsula , this species migrates by night and on broad front . they descend to the ground during the day . they depend on fat and muscle reserves for migrating , indicating that they do not depend only on prey caught along their route .
brown shrikes mainly eat invertebrates , but have been reported to feed on reptiles and amphibians as well .
in winter , brown shrike is found in secondary forest , often close to human habitation . this species is a rare vagrant to europe , and has been recorded in nova scotia , canada .
many adult isabelline , especially in the eastern part of the range , tend to show paler lores , contrasting with darker ear coverts ( with arenarius females also showing very poorly marked ear coverts too ) , whereas most brown shrike , male and female , have dark lores . all adult male brown shrike should show black lores and a
jet black face mask
, and while nominate cristatus female
never
shows black lores or black nostril feathering… ( the ) face mask can be rather black in some
( svennson , 1992 ) . the vast majority of adult , and even second calendar year brown shrike females of all subspecies are believed to show either dark brown or blackish lores .
are darkish brown . the face is white with the typical shrike black
bandit - mask
through the eye . underparts are yellowish buff , although the hues vary somewhat between the different races .
brown shrikes have been known to defend a feeding territory , from which it will drive away other birds .
are brown overall , have chestnut - wash flanks , dark black eye - stripe and thin white supercilium .
the note concludes that significant further research needs to be conducted before identification criteria ( or even taxonomic decisions ) can be fully determined for the brown shrike taxa , and by extension isabelline shrike taxa , and that extreme caution needs to be used when identifying
atypical
extralimital shrikes of either species .
and provides images of individual brown shrike that appear to show one or more of three main features considered atypical for brown shrike but typical of isabelline ( namely a white patch on the base of the primaries , pale lores in females , and orange - toned tails ) . importantly , the existence and frequency of such individuals raises questions over the confidence put in some widely - used identification criteria for both species .
the tail tends not to be strongly contrasting in brown shrike ( often similar in coloration or darker than the rest of the upperparts ) , whereas it tends to be contrastingly and often distinctively orange - toned in most individuals of isabelline shrike . svensson ( 1992 ) notes , however that
some females [ subspecies ’ isabellinus ’ ] have rather dull dark brown tails with practically no rufous tinge at all
.
protection / threats / status : the brown shrike is not globally threatened and there is little information on population levels . no information on status of races cristatus and confusus . the race superciliosus has declined drastically in japan . the status of the race lucionencis in japan is uncertain . this species occurs in several protected areas through the non - breeding range , and the brown shrike is currently evaluated as least concern .
however , a significant number of brown shrike occur in south korea ( and presumably elsewhere ) which seem to show features suggestive of one or more forms of isabelline . it is presumably individuals such as these ( in addition to some phoenicuroides isabelline shrike especially ) that led svensson ( 1992 ) to conclude that brown shrike is
very similar to l . isabellinus
. confident identification of some individuals is even further complicated by hybridization between isabelline and both red - backed l . collurio and brown shrike in central asia at least ( e . g . svennson et al , 2003 ) - for an online comment with photographs of apparently hybrid pairs in kazakhstan which illustrates this point go to hybrid shrikes in central asia .
fig . 7 : male lucionensis , south korea , may 2003 , nial moores grey - crowned , brown - backed , rufous tailed , and orangey - buff underparts : arguably the most attractive of the brown shrikes .
unlike the two resident north american species , the brown shrike is a long distance migrant in asia . during migration between siberia and thailand , birds occasionally get lost and have ended up in alaska and california .
typical
brown shrike adults in spring range in appearance from brown - backed ( lucionensis ) through reddish - brown backed ( cristatus and presumably confusus ) to reddish ( superciliosus ) ; grey - crowned ( lucionensis ) to reddish crowned ( superciliosus ) ; with broad , white supercilium ( superciliosus ) to almost no supercilium ( lucionensis ) ; with whitish underparts ( superciliosus ) to saturated orange and buff below ( cristatus and probably confusus ) .
fig . 2 : isabelline shrike , first calendar year , oman , november , © bjorn johansson .
despite this extreme variability , brown shrike can easily be separated from the widespread bull - headed shrike l . bucephalus on account of structural differences including brown’s longer , fuller tail and heavier bill , by the blackness of the lores and ear coverts and the lack of grey tones in much of the upperparts ( with the exception of the crown in lucionensis ) , and in many individuals by the presence of a rather well - marked supercilium .
especially considering the existence of hybrids , and the tendency to vagrancy shown by both brown and isabelline shrike , it seems therefore that all extralimital brown or isabelline shrikes , whether considered
typical
or
atypical
, need to be identified on the basis of a broad range of characters , preferably supported by in - hand measurements .
adapted ( below ) is a range map that shows ( roughly ) the breeding territory of the ten subspecies of these three shrikes . note that , in general the subspecies of red - backed shrike winter in southern and eastern africa ; the subspecies of isabelline shrike winter in eastern africa , arabia and india & pakistan ; while the subspecies of brown shrike winter from eastern india across south - east asia through malaysia and indonesia .
it was formerly often considered conspecific ( of , or belonging to , the same species ) with the closely - related red - backed shrike , l . collurio , and isabelline shrike , l . isabellinus .
the brown , red - backed , and isabelline shrikes were once regarded as part of a large super - species .
many adult isabelline ( with the exception of
western
phoenicuroides ) show obviously paler bills basally than brown shrike . the bills are invariably largely or completely dark in adult brown , though occasionally paler - based in second - calendar year birds and also ( some ? ) adults in winter ( e . g . worfolk , 2000 ) ;
in north america , there are three species of shrikes in one genus that have occurred . one species , the brown shrike , is a vagrant from asia while the other two , the northern and loggerhead shrikes , are residents .
the juvenile has duller and less conspicuous supercilium , and brown , less extensive mask . crown and upperparts are rufous with heavy grey - brown barring . the upperwing is brown with buffy - edged wing - coverts , secondaries and tertials . the throat is whitish whereas cheeks and underparts are mostly buff with dense dark vermiculations . centre of belly and vent are uniformly coloured .
the grey - bellied shrike - tyrant was discovered in patagonia by the eminent naturalist charles darwin ( 3 ) . this species has mostly brownish - grey upperparts , with a whitish band running above the eye , and a blackish - brown tail . the throat is whitish with heavy streaking , which is black in the male and dark brown in the female . the breast is pale grey - brown to whitish , becoming browner towards the flanks . perhaps the most distinctive feature of the grey - bellied shrike - tyrant is the robust , long bill , the upper part of which has a markedly hooked tip and is dark brown , while the lower part is orange . there are two subspecies of grey - bellied shrike - tyrant , agriornis micropterus micropterus and agriornis micropterus andecola , the latter being slightly larger and darker ( 2 ) .
it really is astonishing how certain some people are in their identification of extralimital brown - redbacked - isabelline shrikes . . .
brown js ( 1999 ) vigilance , patch use and habitat selection : foraging under predation risk . evol ecol res 1 : 49–71
fig . 3 : female red - backed shrike , second calendar year , iran . april , © bjorn johansson .
various in - the - hand differences noted by svensson ( 1992 ) include tail width , longer and stronger rictal bristles in brown shrike , and slight differences in wing formulae , while other plumage minutiae include the greater tendency of brown to show a more graduated tail shape , obvious growth bars in the tail , and buffy tips to the 5th and 6th pair of tail feathers . however , several of these latter features apparently can also be shown by isabelline to a varying degree and not be shown by brown ( ! ) .
bibliography ) . we used the spearman correlation to examine the relationship between the number of shrike videos on yt and number of publications for each shrike species ( separately for books , wos and iswg ) . similarly , we compared the proportion of the human population with an internet connection and smartphone users to a number of shrike videos by country ( for details , see
feeds on insects , reptiles , small birds and rodents . prefers more open habitats while tiger shrike prefers more wooded areas .
the majority of non - lucionensis brown shrike in south korea have reddish - brown backs / mantles , rufous - brown crowns , and warm - tinged brown tails . a very few adults ( perhaps less than 1 % ) are distinctly brighter and cleaner - looking , redder above , and show a very strong black face - mask , an obvious supercilium , and a broad white forehead . based on the combination of these features , such individuals can easily be ascribed to the japan - and sakhalin - nesting superciliosus . superciliosus can further be differentiated by its cleaner underparts , with most of the buff wash on the underparts confined to the flanks , and its slightly longer bill .
fig . 23 : female shrike , presumably second calendar year confusus ( ? ) , south korea , june . nial moores this individual , digi - scoped in strong morning sunlight , appeared brown on the upperparts ( with a slightly warmer crown ) , with a strongly contrasting orange - tinged rump and uppertail . its underparts were quite heavily vermiculated with rusty - brown bars , and its lores were clearly pale . it showed no trace of white in the base of the primaries . how would such an individual , identified here as a first summer female brown shrike ( partly on range ) , be identified if it turned up in western europe , north america or australia ?
fig . 11 : brown shrike ( probably hybrid between superciliosus and lucionensis ? ) south korea , may . nial moores the very extensive white forehead and strong supercilium are typical features of superciliosus , while the upperpart and underpart coloration better match lucionensis ( or even confusus ) .
fig . 6 : male isabelline shrike , oman , november , © bjorn johansson . isabelline shrike showing a full range of expected characters ( pale coloration , pale lores , pale - based bill , white patch at the base of the primaries and an orangey - toned tail ) pose little identification challenge . however , note even in this individual the tail appears slightly graduated , considered a feature more of brown .
yosef , r . & international shrike working group ( 2018 ) . brown shrike ( lanius cristatus ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
worfolk , t . ( 2000 ) . identification of red - backed , isabelline and brown shrikes . dutch birding 2000 . 22 : 323 - 362 .
brown shrike : asian species which casually occurs in alaska in the western portions of the aleutian archipelago , st . lawrence island , and near anchorage ; in fall and winter , individuals have been recorded in central california . preferred habitats include lowlands , farmlands , and orchards with thickets and scrub .
at least in 2003 and 2004 , small but significant numbers of rather more
sandy - backed
individuals have been noted , comprising very approximately 10 % of brown shrike recorded in mid - to late may . these quite possibly represent an intergrade or hybrids between lucionensis and the
reddish - backed
subspecies ( i . e . mostly confusus ) or even perhaps between the
reddish - backed
subspecies and isabelline shrike .
correlation plot between the proportion of internet users and the number of shrike videos on yt by country . colour points describe affiliation to world region
dato’ dr amar - singh hss encountered a brown shrike ( lanius cristatus ) at the ex - mining pool adjacent to limestone hills and secondary growth in tambun interior , ipoh , perak , malaysia . he observed its odd feeding behaviour on 30th december 2010 and 1st january 2011 , sending the account below .
adult lucionensis is the most distinctive and arguably the most attractive - looking of the subspecies of brown shrike occurring in south korea , appearing rather distinct from isabelline shrike . while very similar to
reddish - backed
subspecies in structure and behaviour , most lucionensis nonetheless seem rather more approachable and prone to perching in the open , and in addition most appear to show a rather square - cut tail , seeming to lack the slight gradation shown by many , but not all ,
reddish - backed
birds . most also appear to show between 5 and 6 primaries beyond the longest tertial on the closed wing , similar to the vast majority of individuals of other brown shrike subspecies - despite being considered mostly a medium - range migrant by worfolk ( 2000 ) .
one basis of a variety of evidence the current thinking is that within this ' superpecies ' , the red - backed and isabelline shrikes are more closely related , while the brown shrike is a slightly more distant relative . although there are large areas where the range of isabelline and brown shrikes overlap , there are very few recorded hybrids between these species . thus one can consider them as sympatric species ( i . e maintaining reproductive isolation even in the face of geographical overlap ) .
separation from the various taxa of isabelline shrike is potentially significantly more problematic . although unrecorded on the korean peninsula , isabelline shrike has been recorded further east in japan ( in okinawa prefecture , on february 17th 2003 : per akiyo nakamichi in lit . , 2004 ) , highlighting the possibility of vagrancy .
the food is mainly insects and small birds and mammals , caught by a sally from a prominent perch . this is a typical shrike hunting technique .
a loggerhead shrike can kill and carry an animal as massive as itself . it transports large prey in its feet and smaller victims in its beak .
we found yt videos for 24 out of 29 extant species of shrikes . for five shrike species , we did not find any video on yt (
) . we have found a strong positive correlation between the number of shrike videos on yt and available scientific literature on shrikes . unsurprisingly , shrike species of western palaearctic and north america are often recorded by the public , and also available publication records on these species are more common than for poorly studied shrike species mainly from tropical regions . this is most probably an effect of the greater number of birdwatchers and ecotourists with a general interest in birds ( glowinski
on the head , crown and nape are rufous - brown . we can see a conspicuous black facial mask extending from lores through the eye to rear ear - coverts . there is a broad white supercilium . the lower forehead is creamy - white . the hooked bill is black . the eyes are brown . legs and feet are blackish .
the brown shrike , of the subspecies lucionensis , was considered by tomek ( 2002 ) to be a
common breeding species throughout
dprk ( though she notes that fiebig suggested that the coloring of all birds he saw was typical of confusus ) . this status assessment was based largely , it appears , on the specimen record and earlier accounts , as it is now largely contradicted by more recent experience :
brown shrike is now pretty rare in dprk : i probably saw fewer than a dozen outside breeding territories in 5 years ; and a maximum of three territories in any one year
( w . duckworth . in lit . , 2004 ) .
although generally uncommon , the grey - bellied shrike - tyrant has a large range and is not considered to be threatened ( 2 ) ( 4 ) .
subspecies and range : the brown shrike has four subspecies . l . c . cristatus ( described above ) breeds in c and e siberia , s to n mongolia , l . baikal area , n sakhalin and w kamchatka . it winters in c and s india , sri lanka , bangladesh , myanmar coastal area and malay peninsula .
so glad you mentioned your observation of a brown shrike with material - attempt to make nest ? and maybe practicing for the real . i have a good hunch that one day , it will be a matter of time when some birder - photog will have this opportunity to prove in photography of them taking up residence and breed here .
the two resident shrike species in north america range throughout much of the continent , although they are uncommon birds in most regions . in the north , the northern shrike breeds in the transition zone between the boreal forest and tundra , and winters south to the central united states . the loggerhead shrike is a bird of warmer climates that mostly breeds in the southern united states , also ranging north into canada in the great plains . both species utilize grasslands and other open habitats .
the longest - lived loggerhead shrike on record—a male—was at least 11 years , 9 months old when it was caught and released in 2010 by researchers in california .
or a red - backe shrike ( lanius collurio ) . any expert on bird identification ? help needed . thanks sukanyadatta and achmad ridha junaid for the info .
fig . 13 : juvenile brown shrike , south korea , september . nial moores possibly of subspecies confusus or cristatus based on lack of paler forecrown . the tail shows narrow pointed tail feathers ( not slightly rounded as in isabelline ) with broad pale tips , also lacking the darker subterminal marks shown by most isabelline ( see svensson , 1992 ) .
with its narrow habitat requirements , they appear to have suffered significantly from habitat loss , while others such as the bull - headed shrike has not been adversely affected .
habitat : the brown shrike breeds at woodland edges ( deciduous , mixed or coniferous ) , and in bushy areas , thickets , groves and secondary growths in open country . it frequents mainly lowlands but it can be seen up to 2 , 000 metres of elevation . during winter , it frequents the edges of cultivated areas , bushy areas and gardens .
many shrike species have undergone declines around the world for undetermined reasons . in north america , the decline of the loggerhead shrike in many areas of its range may be attributed to such factors as pesticide use , loss of habitat , and susceptibility to being hit by cars due to their affinity for roadsides and flying close to the ground .
the upper cutting edge ( tomium ) of the loggerhead shrike’s hooked bill features a pair of built - in pointy projections , aptly named “tomial teeth . ” like a falcon , the shrike tackles vertebrate prey with a precise attack to the nape , probably using these tomial “teeth” to paralyze the animal with a jab to the spinal cord .
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svensson ( 1992 ) states that brown shrike very rarely shows a white patch at the base of the primaries , a view echoed by worfolk ( 2000 ) , who states there is normally no visible primary - patch but that a few birds show a tiny pale spot at the base of the inner primaries . personal observations , however , suggest that possibly one in 20 or 30
reddish - backed
individuals in south korea identified as brown shrike show a reasonably significant patch , perhaps smaller than but still suggestive of isabelline . their frequency suggests strongly that they are not all vagrant isabelline . a perhaps lesser number ( including one
sandy - backed
type in 2004 ) , show rather weaker vestigial type patches .
the remainder are comprised largely of either cristatus or confusus ,
reddish - brown backed
types . in autumn , many juveniles and first years are very difficult to ascribe confidently to subspecies .
fig . 14 : south korea , may , nial moores a distinctive - looking individual , apparently lacking both the darker brown upperpart coloration of lucionensis and the reddish - brown coloration of other subspecies . similar to phoenicuroides isabelline it showed stronger rufous tones to the crown , and at least 6 or rather more likely 7 primary tips beyond the longest tertial . it however also lacked an obvious white patch at the base of the primaries , and showed buffy tips to the outer tail feathers ( considered by svensson [ 1992 ] to be a feature more of brown than of isabelline ) .
fig . 19 : indeterminate shrike . south korea , may . nial moores an orangey - tailed
sandy - backed
individual ( at late dusk ) with very pale underparts ; without underpart vermiculations ; with a slightly paler bill base ; and showing a faint white patch at the base of the primaries . if the patch had been as large as that shown by the birds in fig 16 and 17 , or especially in figure 6 , how should this have been identified ? confidently as south korea’s first isabelline shrike ? or as yet another
atypical
brown ?
17–20 cm ; male 27–34 g , female 28–37 g . a medium - sized shrike with rather large head . male nominate race has black facial mask from lores back to rear ear - . . .
the shrike family , laniidae ( pronounced lan - eye - uh - dee ) , is composed of thirty - three species of shrikes in four genera found in north america , eurasia , and africa .
while there are currently no known conservation measures in place for the grey - bellied shrike - tyrant ( 4 ) , it is found in a number of protected areas throughout its range ( 5 ) .
fig . 15 : male brown shrike , south korea , may , nial moores second individual ( seen by several observers ) , also presumably a male based on lore colour and lack of vermiculations . like the individual in figure 14 , it lacked reddish - brown tones to the upperparts ( apart from on the crown ) , and instead showed very striking and
complete
pale fringes to the tertials and secondaries on the closed wing . different from the bird in figure 14 , and more sandy - toned and contrasting above than
typical
cristatus , it showed a strong supercilium , whitish forehead and apparently only 5 primary tips visible beyond the longest tertial .
brown shrike is comprised of either four ( svensson , 1992 ) or three distinct subspecies , considered by worfolk ( 2000 ) as worthy of treatment as three diagnosable species under the phylogenetic species concept : l . cristatus , l . lucionensis and l . superciliosus . all taxa are considered to be somewhat variable in appearance , with apparently numerous intergrades and some hybridisation . the fourth form , confusus , worfolk ( 2000 ) concludes may represent the introgression of lucionensis genes into cristatus , and requires further research . this note agrees that more research is required , and basing an opinion on the difficulties of identifying many individuals to subspecies in the field , follows the more conservative svensson ( 1992 ) and robson ( 2000 ) in treating brown shrike as a single species , with four subspecies ( the clearly diagnosable nominate cristatus , lucionensis , superciliosus and the somewhat enigmatic and poorly - described confusus ) .
) . however , the lack of correlation between shrike videos and proportion of smartphone users by country is most probably linked to the fact that birdwatchers are using more specialised devices other than smartphone devices such as cameras .
personal observations since 2000 include day peaks of less than 10 individuals on the far southwestern island of gageo ( e . g . in may 2000 and 2001 ) , with rather larger numbers found northward ( e . g . on socheong island in the far northwest , peak counts in spring and autumn 2004 were 75 on may 17th , and 55 on august 19th ) . lucionensis comprise probably 30 - 50 % of all brown shrike during early may , with the vast majority ( 90 % ) comprised of this taxon by late may / early june . this includes lucionensis types with much brown admixed into the crown ( considered by worfolk [ 2000 ] to be better described as the intergrade confusus ) .
) describing the courtship behaviour of some shrike species referred the reader to a yt video . multimedia sources ( i . e . picture , animation , simulation and video ) offer great potential to learning and teaching ( mayer
the female usually lays 4 - 6 reddish - white to greenish or buffish eggs with darker spots . she incubates alone during 12 - 14 days , and she is fed on nest by the male during this period . the chicks are fed by both parents , and they remain on the nest during 14 - 15 days . however , they remain in the vicinity of the nest for at least two weeks after fledging . the brown shrike’s nest is often parasitized by cuckoos .
most adult male ( except arenarius apparently ) and some female isabelline tend to show quite a strong white patch at the base of the primaries . no brown shrike of any subspecies , sex or age it is said ( though see below ) should show extensive white at the base of the primaries ( to quote from svensson [ 1992 ] :
bases to primaries only very rarely with some white [ only 0 - 2 mm longer than the primary coverts if any ]
.
l . c . lucionensis breeds in e china , korea and s japan . it winters mainly on coastal se china , taiwan , philippines , n borneo and n sulawesi . this race is much greyer than others . the supercilium is narrower . the male has pale grey crown and nape , brownish - grey upperparts , except rump and uppertail - coverts which are dark brown . belly and flanks to undertail - coverts are buff . the female is paler than male with blackish - brown wash and less distinct supercilium .
the brown shrike is an east asian species , breeding primarily in eastern siberia , china , mongolia , the koreas and japan , and overlapping with isabelline shrike in central asia where hybridization between the two species ( and between red - backed and isabelline ) occurs ( e . g . worfolk 2000 , svensson 2003 ) . the northernmost wintering limit is southern china and southernmost japan , and the species becomes widespread in the boreal winter throughout much of south - east asia . it appears prone to vagrancy , and has been recorded in australia ( first accepted on christmas island in 1988 ) , western europe ( apparently ca 8 times between 1985 and 2003 ) , and north america ( first in 1977 : gibson , 1981 ) .
calls and songs : sounds by xeno - canto the brown shrike is usually silent away from the breeding grounds . during the breeding season , it often utters a high - pitched squawking . the alarm call is a harsh “chak - ak - ak - ak - ak” . the song is a rich , varied chattering , a repeated trilling “kichi - kichi - kichi” and / or “gey - gey - gey” while moving around treetops . the male often imitates songs and calls of other bird species .
behaviour in the wild : the brown shrike feeds primarily on insects such as orthoptera and coleopterans , other arthropods and spiders . it also takes small vertebrates such as small mammals , lizards , amphibians and small passerine birds , adults and nestlings . it hunts from low perches , swooping or sallying for prey , but most prey are caught on the ground . like all shrikes , it impales its prey on thorny branches , and it often caches food items . it usually disgorges pellets from an elevated perch .
in order to attract a mate , the male grey - bellied shrike - tyrant gives an aerial display , during which the two short , outer primary feathers produce a low - pitched , barely audible whirring sound . although many aspects of the grey - bellied shrike - tyrant’s reproduction are currently unknown , eggs have been found in january in chile , while in argentina , nests have been recorded in september and october , and eggs and fledglings reported in december ( 2 ) .
) . hence , allowing that we are well versed in the scientific literature pertaining to the shrikes , we tried to understand its relationship with shrike videos on yt and the role of yt videos as a potential source of an alternative knowledge about this bird group . in many shrike species , for which we lack even basic information on their ecology and biology , especially those whose geographic distribution is outside north america and europe , online sources can represent important sources of alternative information ( harris and franklin
“i observed this brown shrike having this same odd foraging behaviour over two different days ( two days apart ) ( below ) . he had ‘occupied’ a mass of fallen bushes and trees . there he was hopping about like a babbler and looking for food . i saw him eat termite / large ants . when i approached he stood his ground and just went further / deeper into the tangle of twigs / brush . only when i came within a meter did he choose to fly off , even then to a low bush nearby .
this year’s winner , a submission of a brown shrike on out skerries from michael mckee , was ‘a veritable masterclass of the photographic submission genre’ . while many ‘traditional’ birders bemoan the death of the field notebook , there is no denying that most keen birders now carry a camera and know how to use it , and that this has replaced the notebook in many cases . michael is far more than just a ‘record - shot photographer’ and his use of a camera and presentation of the images as a recording tool is second to none .
the brown shrike has a large breeding range of 8 , 280 , 000 square kilometers . this includes a variety of open and edge habitats in eastern russia , mongolia , japan , and eastern china . it winters in similar open and edge habitats in eastern and southern asia , and has occurred as a vagrant to western north america . although the population of this brd species has not been estimated and is believed to be in decline in some areas , it is still believed to be large and stable enough to warrant a conservation rating of least concern .
“could this be a new vagrant from far away ? i checked robson’s and found no good match of such description to other known species from sea mainland and neither resemble much of china’s shrike species . any feedback are welcomed , just my two cents . thanks . ”
) . chi - square tests were used to compare the proportion of shrike behaviour recorded for eight categories to world region , except videos we were not able to determine the country of origin . all analyses were conducted in r 3 . 1 . 3 ( r core team
the brown shrike is a highly variable species . there seems to be a limited understanding of most non - adult male plumages , with several discrepancies noted between females and immatures seen in the field and descriptions contained within oft - cited literature . in addition , hybridisation between the various subspecies is not well - studied , but it seems , based on the extreme variability of many individuals seen in south korea and elsewhere , that it might well be rather extensive . this seems to include hybridization at least between superciliosus and lucionensis , and between lucionensis and cristatus ( and / or confusus ) .
although the vast majority of brown shrike appear to show dark lores , at least five females seen in the spring of 2004 ( out of less than 50 noted as such ) showed rather plainer and paler lores , with several of these appearing strikingly pale - lored and
open - faced
( strongly recalling both isabelline and female red - backed shrikes ) . one such individual in early june also showed a largely pinky - grey base to the bill . presumably second calendar - year birds , such individuals if found out of their expected range would seem to pose a great identification challenge .
i have a regular one that shows up without fail for the last several years that i have noticed outside my residence , next to riverside . when i hear its first call , i knew the migratory season has begun for the brown shrikes are just about one of the earliest land migratories to arrive beside the tiger shrikes .
a search for all available shrike videos was conducted on yt from 2005 to 2015 . we searched yt using the scientific and common name of all 29 true shrike species . only videos where shrikes were observed in their natural environment were included in further analysis . altogether , we collected 1022 video recordings from 58 countries . on average , video length was 72 s ( ±2 . 2 sd ) , time online since uploading 1204 days ( ±22 . 3 sd ) , number of comments per video 0 . 74 ( ±0 . 11 sd ) and the number of views per video 505 ( ±123 . 47 sd ) . more details are included in
many also show fairly apparent growth bars and also slightly paler buffy - tips to at least the 5th and 6th pairs of tail feathers ( as described by svensson , 1992 ) . males of both subspecies lack vermiculations ( according to svensson , 1992 ) , while females tend to show variable but weak brown vermiculations or barring especially on the flank and breast sides , and juveniles extensive vermiculations below and above . the majority of juveniles are safely separable from the vast majority of red - backed and isabelline shrikes on the basis of e . g . their already dark lores , and largely uniform reddish - brown upperparts ( lacking any grey tones on the nape or mantle , and e . g . any obviously darker tones to the tail ) .
, a shrike species inhabiting se russia , ne china , korea and all the main islands of the japanese archipelago . despite the rather sparse publication record on this species , japan , china and south korea have well - and long - established markets for smartphones and other recording devices and widespread internet upload culture ( mak et al .
the greatest concentrations of brown shrike , of all three or four subspecies , are therefore of migrants on offshore islands from late april to early june and again , in rather smaller numbers , in august and september , with occasional individuals into october . as might be expected , in spring the majority of earlier - migrating individuals tend to be males , followed by females and finally second calendar year birds , though there appears to be significant overlap , as also might be expected considering the asynchronous migration strategies of the various subspecies and the presumed wide geographical area over which such birds might be breeding . in autumn , many individuals seen on offshore islands are juveniles and first winters (
first years
) .
they are territorial during the breeding season , and the perch sites are important for this behaviour . in s taiwan , the migratory brown shrikes choose and use perches in foraging behaviour and interactions between them . they often favour protruding branches on a side of a tree canopy , making easier for the birds to detect prey on the ground while keeping an eye open for raptors .
“usually brown shrikes are hard to approach ( except in a car ) , forage from a vantage point ( wire , tree branch ) and swoop down to capture prey . this chap was odd . looking closely at its plumage , the tail feather are rather damaged / worn and so are wings . perhaps not able to fly so well and using a different foraging mode to survive . ”
fig . 8 & 9 : lucionensis - type , south korea . may 2004 , nial moores note the square - ended tail , very poorly marked supercilium , and slight black extending over the bill . individuals such as this are considered by some to be confusus or intergrades , based on the grey of the crown being admixed with brown . most lucionensis in south korea show a similar crown colouration .
primarily , we thank the youtube community for uploading their videos . we thank all shrike researchers from around the world that comprise the iswg for diligently submitting all publications from their respective regions / countries . we especially thank dr boris nikolov for his help with bibliography and three anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on the manuscript . sue har shefi edited the paper for language .
a solitary species , the grey - bellied shrike - tyrant is commonly found perching conspicuously on the top of a rock or bush ( 2 ) ( 3 ) . this species is a skilled hunter , taking insects on the wing or catching its prey whilst running along the ground . other prey sources include small mammals , lizards , frogs and the eggs and nestlings of other bird species ( 2 ) .
) . unusual coloration , the mystical facial mask , unique behaviour and proximity to human habitation of the shrikes easily attract the attention of scientists , as well as that of the general public , and hence leading to relatively large amounts of footage being uploaded to yt . in this paper , we aim to address the following parameters : how many shrike videos are on yt , what is their spatial distribution and what types of behaviour they recorded .
the grey - bellied shrike - tyrant is generally found in lowland and montane open grassland with scattered shrubs and boulders , but may also be found in agricultural areas during the austral winter . in the southern part of its range , this species can be found from sea - level to elevations of 5 , 000 metres , whereas in the northern part , it is most commonly found between elevations of 2 , 000 and 4 , 000 metres ( 2 )
) provide vastly more information on the biology of these species , access to these professional books is limited to the professional community . here , yt videos can be very helpful , providing an alternative source of visualisation of shrike ecology and behaviour for enthusiasts of this group all over the world . additionally , in some cases , internet data contained novel localities , not published in the literature to date , including , for instance , some website about terrestrial vertebrate and butterfly observations (
amar’s account received the attention of tou jing yi who wrote : “oddest shrike i have ever seen , not only because of the behavior , but also the plumage ! the bird seemed to be an adult or sub - adult at least due to the cleaner plumage , well marked hind eye mask , rather clean belly with pale scales on the flanks , this seemed to be an adult female or at least very near to adult female , except for the lores , which is pale .