Southern Grey Shrike

Winter visitor in India. It is closely related to the Great Grey Shrike, with which it used to be considered conspecific; where they co-occur, they do not interbreed and are separated by choice of habitat. This medium-sized passerine bird eats large insects, small birds and rodents. Like other shrikes it hunts from prominent perches, and impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a "larder". Grey backed bird with white front and a eye mask which is typical of all shrikes, black and white stripes at the end of the wings and tail. Slightly smaller and darker than the Great Grey Shrike, and prefers dry open country.