Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitor
Conservation Status
Least ConcernAves · Passeriformes · Laniidae
About
The great grey shrike is a large and predatory songbird species in the shrike family (Laniidae). It forms a superspecies with its parapatric southern relatives, the Iberian grey shrike, the Chinese grey shrike and the American loggerhead shrike. Males and females are similar in plumage, pearly grey above with a black eye-mask and white underparts.
Fun Fact
Great Grey Shrikes impale their prey—beetles, mice, and lizards—on thorns or barbed wire to create a 'larder' for later consumption.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Habitat is generally open grassland, perhaps with shrubs interspersed, and adjacent lookout points.
Diet
To be updated
Lifespan
12 years
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance
External Data Sources
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