Gray shrike

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Gray shrike
Gray shrike (Lanius excubitor) with impaled prey

Gray shrike ( Lanius excubitor ) with impaled prey

Systematics
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes)
Subordination : Songbirds (passeri)
Superfamily : Corvoidea
Family : Shrike (Laniidae)
Genre : Real strangler ( Lanius )
Type : Gray shrike
Scientific name
Lanius excubitor
Linnaeus , 1758

The gray shrike ( Lanius excubitor ), previously the northern gray shrike , is an approximately blackbird-sized species of bird from the genus Lanius within the family of the shrike (Laniidae). The renaming was made necessary by the taxonomic revision, which in 2016 separated the Taiga shrub ( Lanius borealis ) with 6 subspecies from L. excubitor and placed it in species rank; with this, however, all subspecies of the then monotypical Iberian robbery ( Lanius meridionalis ) were brought together except for the nominate form . As of the end of 2018, the gray shrike is a polytypic species with 11 or, according to another assessment, 12 subspecies.

The gray shrike is the largest and heaviest species of this genus, also found in Central Europe . Gray shrike are conspicuous, mostly gray, white, and black colored birds. Males and females are very similar to each other. Except in Central, North , East and parts of Western Europe , the species is found in Africa from the Mediterranean coast south to the savanna belt north of the equator , in the Near and Middle East and in Central Asia and South Asia , east to the Altai and Tien Shan and distributed south to central India . In Europe and Asia, the breeding grounds of exceeding L. excubitor the Arctic Circle significantly. Together with Taiga shrike and brown shrike, it is one of the representatives of the genus that has penetrated the furthest north. These northernmost populations of the gray shrike are migratory birds ; Towards the south, the train readiness continuously decreases; the birds in the southern and south-eastern range are resident birds . Gray shrike are strictly territorial and live in seasonal pairs.

Like the majority of the real shrike, L. excubitor is also a hide hunter who observes the surroundings from an elevated vantage point and usually hits suitable prey on the ground after a short gliding flight. The species prey on large insects and other invertebrates , as well as various small vertebrates . The proportion of vertebrates in the total consumed biomass, especially small rodents and birds, increases towards the north.

The total population of the species is safe according to the assessments of IUCN , HBW and other authorities (LC = least concern). This assessment is based primarily on the very large distribution area and the still very large global population. Regardless of this, the total stock is falling. The gray shrike disappeared from many regions in Central Europe. In Germany, a maximum of 2,000 pairs still breed, most of them in Lower Saxony and Saxony , in Austria there are two remaining populations in the northern Waldviertel with a strongly fluctuating number of a few 10 breeding pairs, in Switzerland the species, which was once not rare in the region, has no longer breeding since 1986. In the Red List of Germany's breeding birds from 2015, the species is listed in Category 2 as critically endangered.

features

General

Exceptionally brightly drawn male of the nominate form. This color variant was previously assigned to a subspecies leucopterus , but is now regarded as a morph , like its darker counterpart melanopterus
Male of the dark morph; Melanopterus types colored in this way appear regularly in Central Europe in winter
Female gray shrike - clearly the sparrowing of the abdominal plumage

The gray shrike is a large blackbird, predominantly gray-looking, long-tailed bird with distinct black and - from subspecies to subspecies differently pronounced - white plumage .

The gray trunk is characteristic, the upper side is always considerably darker in color than the chest and stomach area, which in some subspecies can be almost white. Starting from the base of the strong, dark hooked beak, a pure black, narrow band runs over the eyes to the ear covers, where it widens slightly. In most subspecies, however, the forehead is not reached by this mask. In the majority of the subspecies, this face mask is bordered by a narrow, white brow streak. The relatively wide and round wings are black. In the sitting bird, a small, white wing field always appears, in some subspecies two, which are visible shifted against each other. They are formed by the basal white color of the hand wings and a different number of the arm wings. The black wings contrast sharply with a light, sometimes pure white plumage in the shoulder area. The arm wings are always lined with clear white. The long tail is rounded or tiered; it is colored in contrasting black and white, the inner control springs being black, the outer ones being white; from below the tail looks almost pure white.

In flight, the great gray shrike appears gray-black-white. Characteristic in the top view are the wide white wing field on a black wing base, the white fringing of the arm wings and the long, mostly rounded, white-edged, black tail.

The sexes do not differ in size and only insignificantly in their coloration. Females are usually drawn slightly less contrasty, often a slight sparrow-streak can be seen in the chest, flank and neck area. The white parts of the plumage of the wings and the tail are smaller in the female than in the male and less sharply set off from the black. The deep black plumage areas in the males can be very dark brown in the females. In flight, males and females can be distinguished quite reliably based on the color of their wings: In the male, the white, sickle-shaped wing field remains about the same width, in the female it becomes significantly narrower towards the body. The sparrowing of juvenile individuals, especially in the throat, chest, flank and neck area is clear, but not as distinctive as in some other shrike species; the wings of the hand of the young birds are bordered broader in white, and the beak is not black, but medium brown; at the lower beak it shows light ocher tones.

flight

The flight from hide to hide is arched and is somewhat reminiscent of a woodpecker flight , but the wings are never placed close to the body. Shortly before reaching a new seat control room, the bird rises significantly. The powerful and very fast distance flight, on the other hand, is straightforward. The gray shrike sails short distances and shakes frequently.

In flight, the white wing markings, the narrow white shoulder area and the black and white tail color are good identification features.

Vocalizations

The singing of the gray shrike, in which both sexes sing, consists of short, melodious, fluting-sounding stanzas that are very variable and in which elements of other bird songs and calls are often embedded. The singing usually begins with a series of trrr or prrrr sounds, which later change into relatively quiet tü-lick ... check-ii elements that are emphasized on the second syllable and which are interpreted as actual contact calls . This chant is performed from exposed waiting areas and is accompanied by conspicuous body poses.

The calls are also very diverse. The watchman's whistle is the most common , a sharp trill that can be heard especially when a flight enemy is sighted. In addition, the gray shrike has a variety of often rough and hoarse-sounding vocalizations. In threatening or aggressive situations, instrumental sounds , especially Schnabelknappen , can be heard up close .

distribution

Distribution of the great gray shrike ( Lanius excubitor )
red : brood (all year round)
pink : brood (summer bird)
shaded gray : non-breeder and winter visitor with
wide black stripes : breeding area of L. (e.) Pallidirostris

Despite the separation of the six subspecies native to the boreal Nearctic and the boreal East Palearctic and their incorporation into the new species Taiga shrike Lanius borealis , the range of the predatory shrike is enormous in terms of length and breadth .

The main focus of the distribution is in the Eurasian boreal zone, northward to about 70 ° N and eastward beyond the northern Urals to the lower river system of the Ob . In the southwestern edge of the distribution, the species is rare in Central Europe; it disappeared from many areas of Central Europe in the course of the second half of the 20th century or is only found in residual populations. In Western Europe, the main area of ​​distribution is in the French Massif central with a few islands further west. The species does not breed in Great Britain and Ireland. It is also absent on the Apennine Peninsula , large parts of the Balkan Peninsula and on the large Mediterranean islands. The species has also disappeared from Turkey and the Caucasus region as a breeding bird . The Iberian Peninsula is populated by the sister species Lanius meridionalis .

The gray shrike occurs in even greater density in the Carpathian arch and in Transylvania and in the neighboring regions of Romania and Bulgaria . In Poland , Belarus and parts of the Baltic States , the gray shrike is still a widespread breeding bird, despite declining breeding density, as well as in the northern and central part of Ukraine and in the European part of northern Russia , where the southern border varies between about 50 and 54 degrees latitude. On the southern and southeastern edge of the range, the brood density is again low. Lanius excubitor reaches its greatest eastern expansion in the Mongolian Altai and in Tien Shan in northwest China , but these regions are inhabited by L. pallidirostris , whose taxonomic position is unclear.

Shrike of the Canarian subspecies L. e. koenigi on Fuerteventura

The breeding areas of the new subspecies that were added in 2016 range from the Canary Islands to the Atlantic coastal areas of Morocco , the territory of Western Sahara and Mauritania along the Atlantic coast south to central Senegal , south of Dakar . To the east, they stretch from the Mediterranean coast to the foothills of the Atlas . The area-wide breeding zone ends in central Libya . Further east, the species only breeds in the coastal Kyrenaica , in the lower Nile valley and in some places on the west coast of the Red Sea . Most of the larger and smaller oases are inhabited in the Sahara . The southern limit of distribution runs in the transition area from bush savannah to tree savannah in a non-uniform line, for example from Dakar to Djibouti . Furthermore, the species is breeding bird in Israel and Lebanon and breeds in few pairs in Syria and Iraq . The gray shrike is again more widespread on the Arabian Peninsula , on Socotra , in the southern coastal regions of the Caspian Sea , in eastern Iran and in the southeastern Zagros Mountains . In Afghanistan , the species occurs only in the eastern border area with Pakistan , Pakistan, however, is almost the entire breeding area; this also applies to India , where the species occurs as a breeding bird from the foothills of the Himalayas in the north and south to the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh . The southeastern breeding sites are in western Bangladesh .

hikes

The gray shrike is an annual bird , facultative short-range migrant as well as long-range migrant , with both the proportion of birds that leave the breeding area in winter and the migration distances increasing from south to north. The high-boreal areas are completely cleared, the middle-boreal areas partially. In Norway, single males overwinter up to about 67 ° N, in Sweden up to the Arctic Circle . The winter quarters of the Nordic birds are mostly in the breeding areas of the breeding populations a little further south, while these in turn remain in the wider vicinity of the breeding area or move to areas that are more favorable in terms of climate and / or nutrition. The migration directions of both the subspecies and individual populations are inconsistent: they lie in the west-southwest-south-southeast sector. The mountain races mainly migrate altitudinally.

Former shrike territory on the Schafberg
Typical habitat in northern Ethiopia
Typically structured choke habitat in a steppe landscape east of the Caspian Sea

Migratory movements of the birds that breed in temperate latitudes are mostly triggered by food shortages, with the females more likely to leave the breeding area than the males. Scandinavian birds seem to overwinter mainly in the UK, while central European birds mainly migrate to southern and western France. The Russian shrike overwinter immediately south of the breeding area, some shrike from Eastern Europe migrate to Asia Minor or the Caucasus. Around 50% of the birds that breed in Central Europe leave the breeding ground. The Central Asian shrike remain in the breeding area or hibernate south of it. Most of the L. (e.) Pallidirostris populations, on the other hand, are long-distance migrants with winter quarters on the Arabian Peninsula or in East Africa.

Due to the different migration strategies, the numbers of the great gray shrike in Central and Western Europe can be larger in the winter half-year than during the breeding season.

habitat

Due to the very large distribution area of ​​the species in very different climatic and vegetation zones, the preferred habitats differ in their details, but have important similarities: They are always semi-open or largely open, if possible short-grass landscape types with scattered bushes and trees. There should be about 5–15 hides per hectare. A good all-round view and an unobstructed view of the ground are essential. Littered denser woody areas as rest areas, as well as hedges and thorn bushes as hiding places and skewers are further essential props. The height of the trees does not matter, their age is also insignificant, as they are usually only used at heights between 4 and 6 meters. Fields and other agriculturally used areas, as well as unpaved roads if possible, are tolerated, areas that are heavily designed by humans and intensively used areas are avoided.

In Central Europe, extensive orchards are sufficient if they have hedges and groups of trees, at least in the peripheral areas, heather landscapes with juniper and other groups of bushes and trees, and peripheral areas of bogs with islands of bush and scrub forest to meet these habitat requirements. These landscapes become particularly attractive if they are used for migrating livestock or they are used as herding pastures. Often, secondary habitats such as abandoned open- cast mining areas or military training areas also serve as living space. Dune landscapes and the edge areas of reed areas can also be suitable as breeding grounds. In northern Europe and in the tundra / taiga belt to the east, the species still inhabits fells or arctic tundra with bushes and individual groups of birch trees , as long as it still has bushes and trees as well as bumps that can serve as a viewing point. The edge zones of contiguous forests, if they border on open landscape forms, also serve as habitat, extensive clearings in the first phase of bush cover , as well as areas affected by forest fires, also in early succession. Further south, the species breeds in sparse pine forests and in the denser taiga, especially in open regions along rivers, sometimes also on cleared areas on the edge of settlements.

The habitat requirements of the species in Africa and in central and southern Asia are completely different. Here, semi-arid and arid habitats with corresponding vegetation dominate. In Africa (with the exception of the regions on the Mediterranean, where evergreen maquis serves as a habitat) the species inhabits semi-deserts and savannah areas overgrown with bushes and individual trees . Regions around water points, oases, depressions, which have denser vegetation, and trees and shrubs that can survive along dry rivers are settled. In the steppes of Central and Central Asia, L. excubitor appears in wormwood and feather grass vegetation interspersed with bushes and shrubs of various kinds ( salt herbs , Halostachys belangeriana , but especially saxaul and pistachio ).

In the foothills of the Himalayas, the subspecies L. e. lahtora prefers loosened, semi-open, tree-lined habitats, to the south it prefers dry, semi-desert-like habitats.

In these different habitats, L. e. excubitor , L. e. homeyeri and L. e. leucopterus mainly the lowlands and low mountain ranges up to about 1200 meters. The African subspecies (up to 2000 meters in the Ahaggar and the northern Ethiopian highlands) and Asian subspecies (2300 meters in the Zagros Mountains and up to 2500 meters in the Altai ) occur at much higher altitudes .

Space requirements

For a bird the size of a blackbird, the space required is extraordinarily large. In habitats with an optimal supply of food, a breeding area can only cover 10 hectares, but they are usually much larger at around 50 hectares. The winter districts are even more extensive. Gray shrike prefer to breed in so-called clumps of territory, the boundaries of which sometimes overlap quite widely; exact information on the area's dimensions is therefore problematic. Since there are greater distances between the individual settlement clusters (e.g. 6.4 km on the Swabian Alb ), the overall settlement density is low. In traditionally cultivated agricultural areas of Russia up to 33 breeding pairs per 100 km² were found.

Food and subsistence

Gray shrike with prey impaled

The food of the great gray shrike consists almost exclusively of animals, only very small amounts of fruit are consumed in autumn. Voles , especially species of the genus Microtus , real mice and shrews ( Sorex sp. ) Predominate. Their share in the total food mass can be up to 90%. In addition, various small bird species form another important part of the diet. In high snow conditions, small birds can become the main prey. During the rearing of the young, especially during the first few days, different species of insects , especially ground beetles , scarab beetles and weevils , are increasingly ingested, earwigs also play a role during this time. The gray shrike rarely preyed on bats , amphibians , reptiles or fish and occasionally the species was observed on the carrion of larger mammals . The gray shrike is able to overpower birds up to the size of a fieldfare and mammals up to the size of a lemming and to carry prey away up to its own weight in flight.

The gray shrike is primarily a waiting hunter who searches for food from mostly exposed hides, mostly at heights between three and eight meters. If a prey is discovered, it glides steeply downwards and tries to hit it after gliding close to the ground. The lines are changed frequently. In addition to this main hunting method, prey is also discovered in a slow search flight, which is often interrupted by short, relatively low-level shaking phases. The prey is mainly harvested on the ground, but successful flight hunts for small birds and insects have also been observed. Birds sitting in the branches are also captured in a surprising, sparrow-like attack flight. When visibility is very poor, the gray shrike also searches for food by hopping or striding on the ground. There is evidence that gray shrike can detect UV-reflecting urine tags from voles. The prey is killed by powerful beak blows or a bite in the neck and is often impaled on thorns or clamped in a fork of a branch, which serves both to store and store as well as to fix the prey in order to be able to use all the power when it is cut up piece by piece. Filled pantries also play a role when choosing a partner. A Polish study showed clear changes in behavior: in the courtship and pre-breeding season, more prey animals were impaled and deposited in a clearly visible location, especially at the territorial boundaries. Many of the prey were not eaten. During the breeding season and afterwards, most of the spit sites were relatively hidden and close to the nest, and the prey was usually eaten.

The extent to which song imitations play a role in the acquisition of prey has not been fully explored. This could possibly attract different species of small birds and make them easier to capture.

behavior

General

The gray shrike is diurnal, even in the northernmost breeding areas, which are almost always bright as day during the summer months, they keep a day-night rhythm. In the breeding season, the activity phase extends into the twilight, especially when hunting bats or when certain insect species swarm.

He spends the day mainly hunting from high seat, whereby his posture is usually a little more horizontal than that of other stranglers. During the rest periods it looks for dense bushes or young conifers, often larger accumulations of dots indicate regularly used sleeping places. If available, juniper bushes ( Juniperus communis ) or dense thorn bushes are preferred as sleeping trees .

Gray shrike often bathe, immersing the body completely under water. Then the plumage is dried with slightly spread wings. After meals he cleans the beak by rubbing the side on a branch.

Social behavior

The gray shrike is territorial throughout the year. During the breeding season, a breeding pair asserts a territory, outside of the breeding season each individual occupies a territory for himself. The winter territories are usually somewhat larger than those of the breeding season. Frequently, some breeding pairs form so-called territory clumps, which are relatively widely separated from neighboring territories, but occasionally also overlap with them. There is also a loose social connection between individual areas in the winter areas. The importance of this social affinity is shown in the fact that individual breeding sites in optimal habitats are more likely to be abandoned than clumps of territory even in suboptimal habitats. The district boundaries are regularly inspected by the district owners; these marking flights often lead to group meetings with other members of the district association outside the respective district boundaries. Although there is, the behavior of rivalry and aggression towards members of the district association is more moderate than towards other conspecifics.

Enemy and aggressive behavior

Both common breeding territories and individual territories outside the breeding season are vigorously defended against conspecifics, but almost always threatening gestures. Depending on the degree of aggression, the tail is fanned, the wings twitch, and the beak is stretched out in an almost horizontal, heavily hunched posture. When excited, the neck and head feathers are raised. These body poses are accompanied by harsh, screeching calls.

The species reacts very differently to flight enemies. If a hawk or a sparrowhawk or a type of bird that prefers to hunt birds (various types of falcon , owls , skuas ), the shrike warns intensely and flees into dense undergrowth. Common buzzards , kites , kestrels , ravens , crows , magpies and jays are vigorously attacked during breeding and pursued beyond the territorial boundaries. Outside of the breeding season, the shrike warns, but only attacks the intruders if they come too close to a spit-hole. Warnings are given of approaching people during the breeding and nestling season at a distance of over 200 meters, and in winter the escape distance can drop below 50 meters. Direct attacks on people who came too close to the breeding site or a skewer were also rarely observed.

There is no or only moderate rivalry with other types of strangler; Red-backed shrike regularly breed in gray shrike areas without any aggressive reactions being observed. It is not uncommon for field thrushes to seek proximity to gray shrike territory and occasionally give up their breeding grounds when the shrike depart. You will likely benefit from air surveillance by this type of strangler. It is not known what benefits the gray shrike draws from this proximity, but it is striking that the field thrushes breeding in the area are not attacked by the shrike species and, conversely, the field thrushes do not feed on the shrike.

Breeding biology

Three fledglings of the subspecies L. e. koenigi in leadership time

Gray shrike reach sexual maturity towards the end of the first year of life, but many of the birds do not breed for the first time until they are two years old. You have a monogamous breeding season marriage; however, occasional copulations of mated females with males from neighboring territories have been observed in pairs breeding in one territory.

The pairing of the resident birds begins at the end of February, that of the migratory birds - depending on the geographical latitude of the breeding area - much later. It lasts almost a month and is characterized by a slow reduction in intraspecific aggression. During this mating time, the female loses more and more of its independence until it is completely supplied with food by the male at the time of oviposition. Even in the choice of waiting places this dominance shift is clear: When mated robbery shrikes the male sits higher and further out than the female, a behavior that belly show is called. When handing over food, the female shows nestling and appeasement behavior: in a crouched posture, it trembles its wings and utters begging cries.

During the high courtship period , when the nest building is also started, the male performs conspicuous high flights from which it returns to the nest location, sliding slowly downwards. The frequent copulations are usually preceded by such high flights and the handing over of food.

Nest location and nest

The nest location is chosen by the male. Mostly it lies in trees or in higher bushes, preferably armed with thorns. The type of nest tree is very different, as are the heights at which the nest is built. Nests can be built relatively close to the ground (less than two meters), but also at relatively high heights of 20 meters and more. Tree nests are usually in a particularly dense place in the crown, if possible they are covered from above and below from view. They are often built in witches' brooms or mistletoe bushes . The nesting site is often overlooked by taller trees, from which the male can guard the nest. Sun-exposed locations on hilltops or small elevations characterize many nest locations.

The nest is built by the couple together, but the male brings most of the material. The voluminous nest looks irregular and a bit sloppy from the outside, but is a stable and solid construction. Stems, twigs, blades of grass and other materials are used. Thorny twigs are often incorporated into the exterior cladding. This type of strangler mainly uses feathers, animal hair or soft plant parts (for example cotton grass ) for the nest hollow . Occasionally nests are repaired several times and used over several years.

Clutch, brood and nestling time

Gray shrike eggs

The clutch consists of four to seven, in exceptional cases up to nine eggs, which are quite variable in color, but mostly greenish or bluish white and often have a brownish or purple speckle on the blunt pole. Their size is on average 26.5 × 19.5 millimeters. The gray shrike only incubates once a year, only when the clutch is lost early there is almost always a second brood, usually with a lower number of eggs. The egg-laying of the western European resident birds begins at the end of March at the earliest, that of the northern populations much later; African breeding birds start breeding at the beginning of the main rainy season, the breeding period of the inner-Asian populations is between April and June. Full clutch can be found until June. The eggs are laid at intervals of 24 hours in the morning hours, the female only begins to incubate after the penultimate egg has been laid. The incubation period is between 15 and 17 days, depending on the weather. The young hatch every two days, naked and blind. In the first few days the male provides food to the female and the brood, after about a week the female participates in the procurement of food, but still spends most of the time at the nest. Occasionally, both unmated males and females were observed as hatching helpers . The young fledged after an average of 19 days; they will be looked after by their parents for at least another four weeks before the family unit gradually dissolves and the boys dismigrate . The diversionary hikes are relatively extensive. Resettlements at a distance of 200 km from the breeding area were found. The pair bond disappears soon after the young birds fly away, and the parents move to the separate winter territories or leave the breeding area entirely.

The overall breeding success is low. Only 32.6% of the eggs develop into fully fledged young. Under optimal conditions, the escape rate can increase to a little over 50%. The most frequent causes of brood losses are climatic influences followed by predation , especially by crows and magpies , hawks , tawny owls and martens .

It is not uncommon for the gray shrike to be parasitized by the cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ), and intraspecific brood parasitism also occurs.

Systematics

L. excubitor was first described by Carl von Linné in 1758 . He placed Lanius with the vultures , falcons and owls among the hawk-like (Accipitres). With the exception of the East Asian wedge-tailed shrike and the Louisiana shrike first described by Linné , all the newly scientifically described Holarctic large, gray, shrike were gradually counted as L. excubitor subspecies , so that an extremely polytypic species with more than 20 subspecies and a huge distribution area emerged. Despite considerable differences in color, different habitat preferences and different behavioral details between the individual subspecies, this systematic assessment lasted until the 1990s. However, doubts about its validity arose when Charles Vaurie proposed in 1959 to divide the entire complex into a north and a south group. This approach was taken up again in 1990 by Siegfried Eck in his concept of geospecies and made more concrete in 1993 in HBV and in 1997 by Lefranc. First of all, the fact that the breeding areas of L. excubitor and L. (e). meridionalis in southern France come close to each other up to 30 kilometers without the knowledge of hybrids , fueled considerations that they must be independent species . Taxonomic consequences only followed in 2000, when the southern and southeastern 8 subspecies of L. excubitor with Lanius meridionalis as a nominotypical taxon were placed in species rank. This assessment was given up again in 2016. The following, extensive taxonomic reassessment was triggered by the work of Urban Olsson et al. The Lanius excubitor conundrum , the results of which were in part ambiguous, but nevertheless largely redesigned the previous systematics in the species group of the Great Gray Shrike. Except for Lanius meridionalis , the remaining 7 subspecies came to L. excubitor , from which again 6 subspecies distributed in the northern Nearctic and the northeastern Palearctic were separated and given species rank with the eponymous taxon Lanius borealis (Taiga shrub). At the moment (end of 2018) L. excubitor is a polytypic species with 11 subspecies, an assessment which all authorities unanimously describe as provisional .

The work by Olsson et al. allows for some interpretations; from a phylogeographic point of view, this would be the most obvious taxonomic consequence.
Legend: Large names beginning with L. denote the species; Lower case names denote the subspecies; same colors correspond to same types

The subspecies differ both in their size and in the color of the plumage, especially in the extent and number of white markings on the wings and on the tail, as well as in the presence or absence of wave markings on the chest and stomach. The first two subspecies also belonged to L. excubitor before the taxonomic revision in 2016 . It is characteristic that in birds in the row excubitor > homeyeri > ( leucopterus ) the upper and lower plumage becomes lighter, the white markings in the wing and tail color are expanded and the wing length increases. The dirty white underside plumage shows neither in adult males nor in adult females a wave markings or sparrows .

  • Lanius e. excubitor Linnaeus , 1758: The occurrence of this subspecies extends over western, central and northern Europe to the northern part of western Siberia . Northern, Central and Northeastern Europe, eastward to the mouth of the Ob , southward to the Volga region in Tatarstan ; outside the breeding season in southern Scandinavia , Great Britain, western France, Asia Minor , the Caucasus and Transcaspia. In this taxon the no longer recognized subspecies L. e. galliae and L. e. melanopterus included. Dark, brownish birds, formerly known as L. e. melanopterus appear mainly in winter in parts of the breeding area of L. e. excubitor . The characteristics of L. e. excubitor are covered in the description section.
  • L. e. homeyeri Cabanis , 1873: parts of south-east Europe (Bulgaria, southern Romania, Ukraine eastward to the western foothills of the Urals) and south-west Siberia eastward to central Kyrgyzstan to the Naryn river . It is lighter than the nominate form with extensive white markings on the wing. The very light-colored birds from Upper Naryn, which are often a subspecies L. e. leucopterus Severtsov , attributed in 1875, are used here as a clinical variant of L. e. homeyeri .
Lanius excubitor koenigi - singing male; Canarian subspecies
L. (e.) Pallidirostris (adult)

Except for L. e. theresae counted the following subspecies to Lanius meridionalis until 2016 . The North African races algeriensis > elegans > leucopygos become lighter from west to east.

  • L. e. koenigi Hartert , 1901 is the island breed of the Canary Islands . It occurs on all of the larger islands in this group of islands. Their population is estimated at around 1000–1500 breeding pairs. Genetic studies, especially on this island breed, showed that it is relatively far from L. meridionalis in relation to the relationship, but that it is genetically very close to the neighboring mainland breed ( L. e. Algeriensis ). This knowledge led to the discussion on L. meridionalis s.lat. rekindled. Pale gray on top, very light gray on the bottom; slender, but strongly curved beak, otherwise largely identical to algeriensis .
  • L. e. algeriensis Lesson , 1839: The distribution area of ​​this subspecies is on the Atlantic coast of northwest Africa, in Morocco , Western Sahara and Western Mauritania , as well as on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, Algeria Tunisia , east to western Libya. Like koenigi , but with a stronger beak and a barely discernible white stripe across the eyes
  • L. e. elegans Swainson , 1832: In the Sahara from northeastern Mauritania eastwards across northwestern Mali , southern Tunisia, central and southern Libya, to Egypt and Sudan southwards to around Port Sudan . In addition, the species inhabits most of the oases of the Sahara, southwest Israel and the Sinai Peninsula . It is unclear whether elegans is a breeding bird in northeastern Niger . According to the steep line of the African birds from west to east, this species is much lighter than algeriensis . Large parts of the shoulder plumage, the wings and the tail are white, the underside is pure white without drawing.
  • L. e. leucopygus Ehrenberg , 1833: (including the not generally recognized subspecies jebelmarrae from southwestern Sudan). The southernmost species in Africa: Central and South Mauritania, Central Mali , Central and South Niger , Northeast Nigeria , South Chad and South Sudan ( Darfur ); breeding areas in the far north of Cameroon and in the north of the Central African Republic are also assumed . Slightly shorter-winged than elegans ; The rump and upper tail-coverts are even more extensive white and sometimes also slightly yellowish.

An inverted, rather faint cline with birds getting darker begins with L. e. aucheri in northeast Africa and continues with the subspecies of Central and South Asia.

  • L. e. Aucheri Bonaparte , 1853: East Sudan south of Port Sudan, Eritrea , North Ethiopia and Northwest Somalia ; to the east via Syria, southeast Israel, the eastern part of the Sinai Peninsula, large parts of the Arabian Peninsula (except the southwest), parts of Iraq and southern Iran. The subspecies is slightly darker on the underside, rather gray and not whitish like elegans and has less white in the wing. The black face mask runs as a narrow band over the frontal beak base.
  • L. e. Theresae Meinertzhagen , 1953: Often put to aucheri and not recognized by all authorities subspecies from southern Lebanon and northern Israel. The subspecies is very similar to aucheri , but is on average darker than this.
  • L. e. lahtora ( Sykes , 1832): Broad south-east distribution includes large parts of Pakistan and India eastwards into central Bangladesh. Mostly similar to aucheri , but shows more extensive white parts in the wings and on the tail; the beak is strikingly powerful; the face mask runs relatively wide over the frontal beak base and extends far behind the ear covers. Older males with a slightly yellowish breast.

Outside of these two Klins are two races with small distribution areas in the South Arabian region. Both are dark slate-gray on the upper side, and distinctly gray on the underside.

  • L. e. uncinatus Sclater & Hartlaub , 1881: apparently very common on Socotra (26,000 individuals); like buryi but with a longer beak and rather white-gray shoulder feathers.

Is not included in this sub-species list L. pallidirostris that from the IOU as Steppe Gray Shrike - Steppe Gray Shrike was given species rank .; Panov also supports this assessment with some reservations. However, not insignificant arguments also prove the proximity to L. e. lahtora . or L. e. aucheri . In 2018, the HBW treated L. e. pallidirostris is still a subspecies of L. excubitor , but emphasizes its special position.

Persistence and Threat

According to a reassessment from 2017, the population of the species is not endangered. It is rated LC (= least concern) by the IUCN. The population development is inconsistent: the species gradually disappeared from around the 1950s from many areas of Central Europe, such as almost all of Baden-Württemberg , the Vorarlberg breeding areas and Switzerland, and was also found in the Czech Republic , Slovakia , Belgium and the Netherlands Netherlands very rarely; on the other hand, they could not insignificantly expand their breeding area in Denmark , Finland and partly in north-west Russia. In the priority areas of brood distribution in Fennoscandia and in the European part of Russia, at least 330,000 breeding pairs breed. A large-scale monitoring in Poland in 2010 revealed a breeding population of 22,000-25,000 pairs. The entire European population (excluding Russia and Fennoscandia) is estimated at 69,000–160,000 breeding pairs, of which about 13,000 breeding pairs are still breeding in Central and Eastern Europe (except Poland) and around 1000 in France.

Be held responsible for inventory losses both stronger atlantic influenced weather situations (which, however, appear less serious to impact with this type than about at Lesser Gray Shrike , Woodchat and other heat-loving major insect hunters), the cold winter in the early 1960s and the late 1970s, on Pesticides zurückzuführender Shortage of prey and loss of habitat due to large-scale intensification of agriculture. The disappearance of edge structures (hedges, creeks, wooded islands) had a particularly negative effect. For the population increases in some Nordic breeding areas, the clear-cutting economy has been identified, which is practiced in these regions; the resulting open areas offer the gray shrike suitable habitats.

Name derivation

The generic name Lanius is Latin and means butcher . In English the stranglers are also called butcher birds . The German translation of the Latin excubitor is Wächter and emphasizes the ability of the gray shrike to observe its surroundings very carefully and to warn of approaching intruders who are perceived as a threat.

literature

  • Tony Harris, Kim Franklin: Shrikes & Bush-Shrikes. Including wood-shrikes, helmet-shrikes, flycather-shrikes, philentomas, batises and wattle-eyes. Christopher Helm, London 2000, ISBN 0-7136-3861-3 .
  • Norbert Lefranc, Tim Worfolk: Shrikes. A Guide to the Shrikes of the World. Pica Press, 1997, ISBN 1-4081-3505-1 .
  • Reuven Yosef & International Shrike Working Group (2018): Great Gray Shrike (Lanius excubitor) . In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, DA & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Uploaded from http://www.hbw.com/node/60482 on September 4, 2018.
  • Evgenij N. Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World - Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia 2011, ISBN 978-954-642-576-8 .
  • Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (Hrsg.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985 ff. (2nd edition), part volume 13/2, ISBN 3-89104-535-2 , pp. 1262-1328.
  • Jürgen Haffer : Passeriformes. Sittidae, Laniidae. Handbook of the birds of Central Europe . Vol. 13.2. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim. Aula, Wiesbaden 1993 (2nd edition), pp. 1262-1328, ISBN 3-89104-535-2 .
  • Jochen Hölzinger (Ed.): The birds of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 3.2 Songbirds 2. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1997, pp. 289–321, ISBN 3-8001-3483-7 .
  • Viktor Wember: The names of the birds of Europe. Meaning of the German and scientific names. AULA, Wiebelsheim 2005, p. 145, ISBN 3-89104-678-2 .
  • Tom J. Cade, Eric C. Atkinson: Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor). In: The Birds of North America. Vol. 17. Ed. A. Poole et al. F. Gill. The Birds of North America, Philadelphia PA 17.2002,671. ISSN  1061-5466 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c IOU 8.2 World Bird names June 2018
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Reuven Yosef & International Shrike Working Group, CJ Sharpe, JS Marks and GM Kirwan: Great Gray Shrike (Lanius excubitor) . In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, DA & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (downloaded from http://www.hbw.com/node/60482 on September 4, 2018).
  3. ↑ a b c d Lanius excubitor in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018.1. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  4. ↑ Kai Gedeon, Christoph Grüneberg, Alexander Mitschke, Christoph Sudfeldt and colleagues: Atlas of German Breeding Birds. Foundation Vogelmonitoring Deutschland and Umbrella Association of German Avifaunists, Münster 2015; ISBN 978-3-9815543-3-5
  5. ↑ Leopold Sachslehner (ed.): The robber shrike in Austria. Research Foundation Wilhelminenberg December 2008, ISBN 978-3-200-01389-6 pdf engl.
  6. ↑ Datasheet of the shrike of the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach
  7. ↑ Christoph Grüneberg, Hans-Günther Bauer, Heiko Haupt, Ommo Hüppop, Torsten Ryslavy, Peter Südbeck: Red List of Germany's Breeding Birds , 5 version . In: German Council for Bird Protection (Hrsg.): Reports on bird protection . tape 52 , November 30, 2015.
  8. ↑ Singing
  9. ↑ Alarm calls, snout caps
  10. ↑ a b Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (Hrsg.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1972 ff. (2nd edition). Partial volume 13/2, pp. 1272 ff, ISBN 3-89104-535-2
  11. ^ A b T. Harris, K. Franklin: Shrikes & Bush-Shrikes ... 2000, p. 152.
  12. ↑ Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (ed.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985 ff. (2nd edition). Partial volume 13/2, p. 1284, ISBN 3-89104-535-2
  13. ↑ Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (ed.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985 ff. (2nd edition). Partial volume 13/2, pp. 1284 f., ISBN 3-89104-535-2
  14. ↑ Jochen Hölzinger (Ed.): The birds of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 3.2 Songbirds 2. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1997, pp. 295-302, ISBN 3-8001-3483-7 .
  15. ↑ Jochen Hölzinger (Ed.): The birds of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 3.2 Songbirds 2. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1997, p. 295; ISBN 3-8001-3483-7 .
  16. ↑ Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (ed.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985 ff. (2nd edition). Partial volume 13/2, pp. 1289ff, ISBN 3-89104-535-2
  17. ^ Evgenij N. Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World - Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia 2011, pp. 352-358; ISBN 978-954-642-576-8 .
  18. ^ A b c Evgenij N. Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World - Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia 2011, p. 243 ISBN 978-954-642-576-8 .
  19. ↑ Jochen Hölzinger (Ed.): The birds of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 3.2 Songbirds 2. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1997, p. 302; ISBN 3-8001-3483-7 .
  20. ↑ a b Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (Hrsg.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985 ff. (2nd edition). Partial volume 13/2, pp. 1291ff, ISBN 3-89104-535-2
  21. ↑ Marcin Antczak, Martin Hromada, Piotr Tryjanowski: Spatio-temporal changes in Great Gray Shrike Lanius excubitor impaling behavior: from food caching to communication signs. In: ARDEA 93 (1), pp. 101-107.
  22. ↑ Jochen Hölzinger (Ed.): The birds of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 3.2 Songbirds 2. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1997, p. 307; ISBN 3-8001-3483-7 .
  23. ↑ Jochen Hölzinger (Ed.): The birds of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 3.2 Songbirds 2. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1997, p. 309; ISBN 3-8001-3483-7 .
  24. ↑ Caroli Linnaei: Systema naturae. Regnum Animale . Editio Dezima 1758; Pp. 93-94 pdf
  25. ^ A b c Evgenij N. Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World - Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia 2011, p. 344 ISBN 978-954-642-576-8 .
  26. ↑ J. Martens: Obituary for Dr. hc Siegfried Eck . In: Zoologische Abhandlungen (Dresden) 55 (2006) pdf engl.
  27. ↑ Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (ed.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985 ff. (2nd edition). Teilband 13/2, pp. 1262-1266, ISBN 3-89104-535-2
  28. ↑ Norbert Lefranc, Tim Worfolk: Shrikes. A Guide to the Shrikes of the World. Pica Press, 1997, ISBN 1-4081-3505-1 .
  29. ↑ Urban Olsson, Per Alström, Lars Svensson, Mansour Aliabadian, Per Sundberg: The Lanius excubitor (Aves, Passeriformes) conundrum — Taxonomic dilemma when molecular and non-molecular data tell different stories. In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. (2010) Vol. 55/2, pp. 347-357
  30. ↑ Jelmer Poelstra: Speciation in shades of gray: the great gray shrike complex. In: Dutch Birding 32: 229-250, 2010
  31. ↑ a b Yaroslav A. Red'kin, Vladimir Yu. Arkhipov, Sergej V. Volkov, Aleksej A. Mosalov and Evgenij A. Kobli: Kind or no kind? Controversial taxonomic views on the birds of northern Eurasia. In: Ornithologische Mitteilungen Volume 68 (2016) No. 11/12: 327 - 354.
  32. ^ A b c T. Harris, K. Franklin: Shrikes & Bush-Shrikes ... 2000, p. 151.
  33. ↑ Jochen Hölzinger (Ed.): The birds of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 3.2 Songbirds 2. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1997, p. 292, ISBN 3-8001-3483-7 .
  34. ^ Evgenij N. Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World - Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia 2011, pp. 346ff ISBN 978-954-642-576-8 .
  35. ↑ a b c d e T. Harris, K. Franklin: Shrikes & Bush-Shrikes… 2000, p. 156.
  36. ↑ Javier Gonzalez, Michael Wink, Eduardo Garcia-del-Rey and Guillermo Delgado Castro: Evidence from DNA nucleotide sequences and ISSR profiles indicates paraphyly in subspecies of the Southern Gray Shrike (Lanius meridionalis). In: J. Ornithol. (2008) 149: 495. doi : 10.1007 / s10336-008-0293-y
  37. ↑ a b c d Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (Hrsg.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985 ff. (2nd edition). Partial volume 13/2, p. 1265, ISBN 3-89104-535-2
  38. ^ Evgenij N. Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World - Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia 2011, p. 237 ISBN 978-954-642-576-8 .
  39. ↑ Photo: L. e. lahtora adult male
  40. ^ Evgenij N. Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World - Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia 2011, pp. 240ff ISBN 978-954-642-576-8 .
  41. ↑ a b Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim (Hrsg.): Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Edited by Kurt M. Bauer and Urs N. Glutz von Blotzheim, among others. Aula-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1972 ff. (2nd edition). Partial volume 13/2, pp. 1282ff, ISBN 3-89104-535-2
This version was added to the list of excellent articles on April 17th, 2006 .