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Southern Grey Shrike

Lanius meridionalis

Photo by Noe and Pili
Published on Project Noah
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37.1315, -4.74227

Field Notes

Description:

The Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) is closely related to the Great Grey Shrike and indeed was orginally treated as the same species. Shrikes impale preys on thorn because are not able to hang on to their prey with claws, as a raptor.

Notes:

Probably subspecies “algeriensis” from North Africa shows black eye patch but lacks white supercilium, and it has grey breast.

Reference Links:

Southern Grey Shrike

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)
Noe and Pili
Thanks for your comments Dungeonmaster and Alice! My father told me the same about the toxic grasshoppers, something that he learned from the observation of the nature in his childhood. Unfortunately, nowadays is hard to find shrikes in the place where my father was born.
dungeonmasterShu
impaling insects also serves as an adaptation to eating the toxic grasshoppers where the bird waits for 1–2 days for the toxins within the grasshopper to degrade, and then eat it

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PublishedOctober 29, 2011

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