Red-tailed shrike

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Red-tailed shrike
Female red-tailed shrike

Female red-tailed shrike

Systematics
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes)
Subordination : Songbirds (passeri)
Superfamily : Corvoidea
Family : Shrike (Laniidae)
Genre : Real strangler ( Lanius )
Type : Red-tailed shrike
Scientific name
Lanius phoenicuroides
( Schalow , 1875)

The red-tailed shrike ( Lanius phoenicuroides ), sometimes also called Turkestan shrike , is a songbird belonging to the genus of the real shrike ( Lanius ) within the family of the shrike (Laniidae). The rather small shrike of gray-brown and black appearance inhabits an extensive area between the Caspian Sea in the west and the Altai and western China in the east. It shows somewhat stronger color contrasts than other representatives of the L. isabellinus species group , to which it also belongs.

Like its very close relatives, with whom the species also often hybridizes and produces fertile offspring with intermediate coloring, the red-tailed shrike is also an obligatory migratory bird with wintering areas on the Arabian Peninsula and in Africa up to the Atlantic coast , especially north of the equator . Red-tailed shrike are hide hunters and feed primarily on larger insects , rather rarely on small vertebrates .

The systematic situation in this species complex was confusing for a long time and was discussed controversially; mostly the kind was considered as a subspecies of the Isabellus shrike . It was only in 2005 that the view that L. phoenicuroides should be understood as an independent species, a view that was vehemently advocated by Russian ornithologists in particular, began to gain acceptance . Gradually, all authorities followed, so that the species status is currently (2018) undisputed. Despite the many color variants, which are probably due to mixed broods , no subspecies are described.

The red-tailed shrike lives in a very large area in which it occurs frequently in places. According to the IUCN , the population of the species is not endangered.

Appearance

With about 16.5 to 18.0 cm of length, and a weight between 25 and almost 40 grams of Rotschwanzwürger is about the size and approximately as hard as Neuntöter , Brown Würger and Isabelline Shrike with which it a super species forms; it also resembles the species mentioned in terms of color distribution. In the contact zones of these shrike species there are different mixed breeds, so that the identification situation in this species group is extremely complex and difficult overall.

The top of the head is lively rust-brown, the rest of the top is mostly gray with cinnamon-brown. The upper tail-coverts are brown-red. The black blindfold is very narrowly connected at the base of the beak; it is bordered in white on the top and bottom. The throat is pure white, the rest of the underside with a pale reddish flown over a dirty white background, much more intense on the flanks. The control feathers are darker brown-red towards the tip, terminal with a fine white markings. The wings are brown-black; they are lined with light beige at the tips and outside flags. The base of the hand wings is white; When the bird is sitting, it forms a wing mirror that is always visible , while when it is in flight it forms a sickle-shaped wing field. The feathers of the mantle and upper wing-coverts have a broad, light rust-brown border on a brown background. The legs are blackish, as are the eyes. The beak is also colored this way, only the basal part of the lower mandible is usually lighter.

Females are paler, they appear almost a monochrome brownish color. The blindfold is black-brown, narrower than that of the male, and usually begins just before the eyes. Often females have a fine wave markings on the breast and flanks, sometimes also on the throat. The wing mirror is almost never visible when sitting, and not always visible when flying. Young birds largely resemble females; often, however, the top of the head is blurry dark with them cuckoo .

Mauser

The extent and type of moulting in adult birds are evidently strongly related to the breeding and migration phenology . Some adult birds find time for a complete moult before they leave. Most, however, only change some arm swing and most or all of the control feathers and continue moulting in the winter quarters. Few late brooders leave the breeding grounds completely unmoluted and begin and end them during the winter months. Before leaving, young birds change to their first adult plumage and moult into adult plumage in the breeding area next year.

Vocalizations

Both the singing and the calls of the red-tailed shrike are very similar to those of the red-tailed shrike. The singing is a quiet, often melodic, twittering and warbling, often introduced with a few rough calls and interspersed with whistles and pressed tones as well as with various imitations of singing, other songbirds native to the habitat. The Revierruf is a stringed, differently vocalized, sharp, sometimes explosively articulated call that can be transcribed with T (j) schäk ... t (j) schäk ; he can be heard frequently. With increased arousal, it becomes more avocal, hoarse and rougher. These calls are accompanied by turning their tails, flapping their wings and squeaking their beak . The mating call is with zautzat ... zautzat ... tzauzat reproduced in sexually certain context is often a gereihtes kõik ... Kõik heard.

distribution and habitat

Distribution of the red-tailed shrike red: breeding area of ​​the red-tailed shrike; pale red : areas of distribution ocher: wintering areas of red-tailed shrike and Isabellus shrike light green: migration corridor of both species; light green striped: train corridor only red-tailed shrike
A typical breeding habitat of the red-tailed shrike in Turkmenistan

The red-tailed shrike breed widespread in the mountainous areas of northern and eastern Iran , and widespread north and east in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan . Towards the north, it is quite common in southern, central, and eastern Kazakhstan. The northernmost breeding sites are in the source area of ​​the Ishim , a tributary of the Irtysh . To the east, the distribution area reaches the Dzungarei and the Altai as well as the western edge areas of the Taklamakan in the Chinese province of Xinjiang . Further south-east, the species is likely to breed in the far north of Pakistan and breed safely in central Pakistan as well as in large areas of Afghanistan . Isolated from these areas of distribution are quite extensive breeding occurrences in the southeastern Zagros Mountains and south of the Caspian Sea in Iran. Due to the landscape structure of these areas with sandy deserts without vegetation, steppes without trees and bushes, as well as high-montane areas, landscapes that the red-tailed shrike cannot use, the distribution is overall patchy and not extensive.

Short-grass highlands with bushes and trees, often on rivers, are the preferred habitat of the species in Iran

In recent years, the species has been expanding to the northwest. The most advanced breeding sites were in the southern intercurrent lands of the Volga and Urals , north of the Caspian Sea.

The species breeds in dry steppes and semi-deserts , as well as in the arid highlands. In the lowlands, the red-tailed shrike occurs mainly in tamarisk stands and islets along flowing waters or temporarily drying river valleys, nests in thickets of sea buckthorn and pea bushes and loose saxaul stands . It also appears in large orchards, in almond and pistachio groves , as well as on the edge of extensively used agricultural land, and breeds in large parks within large cities. In montane areas it prefers open juniper trees and occasionally penetrates into the creeping juniper region. In the silting areas of the lakes, such as at Lake Balkhash , the species also finds suitable breeding grounds in the reed beds.

The species is widespread from the lowlands around 200 meters to high-montane locations. The highest nest find comes from the Pamir at 3533 meters above sea level.

According to the mostly arid breeding areas of the species, the red-tailed shrike overwinters predominantly in dry, sparse habitats with thorn bushes and isolated trees, mostly below 2400 meters. It prefers drier habitats with less vegetation than the red-backed red- backed red- backed shrimp, which is also partly sympathetic in winter quarters . Only in the wetlands on Lake Chad and in the extreme west of its winter distribution does L. phoenicuroides appear in more humid habitats.

The brood density varies greatly from region to region. In some areas, L. phoenicuroides can reach high population densities. In the bush zones of the Kazakh steppe, where the species nests mainly in stands of horned horn, the nest distance was around 100–150 meters. Even higher densities with nest spacings of around 60 meters were found in individual river valleys on the edge of the Altai. There the activity centers of courting males are relatively small at around 0.3  hectares .

hikes

The red-tailed shrike is an obligatory migratory bird. It leaves its breeding grounds as early as the end of August; The move is completed at the end of September. The species migrates in a wide corridor towards the west-southwest; few individuals already overwinter on the Arabian Peninsula, the majority in East Africa, from Sudan south to southeast Kenya . The species appears in decreasing numbers in the winter months in Central Africa and only a few reach West African areas in Gambia and Senegal . The homecoming begins at the beginning of March; it takes place on the same route as the departure. The breeding grounds are moved towards the end of March, but especially in the first half of April. Males appear before females in the breeding area.

Food and subsistence

The red-tailed shrike feeds itself and its young almost exclusively on invertebrates , mainly on insects. Beetles , including click beetles , black beetles and scarab beetles, make up up to two thirds of the biomass. The largest possible species are preferred. In addition, remains of stink bugs , ant maids , ants , bumblebees , butterflies and caterpillars were found in the stomach contents and bulbs examined . Vertebrates such as small reptiles and small songbirds and their nestlings seem to be captured only very rarely.

Like almost all Strangler is also the Rotschwanzwürger an opportunistic ambush predator that of a Ansitz observed from the environment and can be achieved with the least expenditure of energy prey strikes on the ground. He eats smaller prey on the spot, he carries larger prey to a feeding place or stores it for storage on one of his spit places. In addition, it was observed how it constantly searches the ground for suitable prey and pokes beetles out of dung heaps.

Breeding biology

Males appear in the breeding area one to two weeks before the females; they are initially very inconspicuous. Only with the arrival of the females do the territorially motivated behaviors such as slow expressive flights, conspicuous, upright sitting and calling at the territorial boundaries begin to become clear. Overall, however, the territoriality of the species is comparatively moderate and the breeding territories overlap widely, without any particular aggressive encounters being observed. The pairing takes place quickly: the male sits down next to the female and begins to sing softly; while doing so it keeps bowing, fans its wings, occasionally also its tail and turns its head conspicuously back and forth. The female remains largely silent and motionless; but sometimes it flies open, which triggers chase flights and nesting locations with the ritualized movements of the nest trough. With the first copulations, pair formation is complete and nest building begins. The pairs stay together during the breeding season, after which the bond is lost; Nothing is known about loyalty to the nest and mating of last year's partners. Red-tailed shrike breed once a year; Replacement clutches with early clutch loss, often with the same number of eggs as in the main clutch, are common.

The nest locations are very different: bushes such as hawthorn , barberry , dog rose , blackberry , horned horn, sea ​​buckthorn and tamarisk predominate; at higher altitudes the species prefers juniper and pistachio bushes ; Trees such as mountain ash and different types of poplar are rarely used as breeding trees. Most nests are at heights between one and two meters. Both adult birds build the nest; the majority of the material is brought in by the male while the female carries out the nest construction. Panov doubts that the male alone is able to build the nest, because all construction activities observed by the male were disordered and at times confused and were immediately revised by the female. The nest, which is remarkably variable in size (90 - 240 mm outer diameter), is a solid, dense and neat construction made of twigs and dry grass, embedded with vegetable wool, feathers and other soft materials; Green parts of the plant are also incorporated mainly on the outside. It usually lies inside a bush, preferably in a fork near the main trunk.

In the lowlands of the Caspian Sea, the laying period begins in the last days of April; Depending on the geographical and topographical location of the breeding site, the start of laying shifts until June. The last fresh first clutches were found in the Altai in mid-July. Full clutch consists of an average of 5 (3–7) creamy white eggs with an average size of 22.5 × 16.7 mm, often pink, bluish or greenish, with reddish brown, brown or purple spots, especially at the blunt end. The female usually lays one egg per day in the morning hours. Only the female broods; Most of them do not start to incubate until after the last egg, but some do so shortly after the egg has been laid, so that the chicks hatch at long intervals; in such locations the most recently hatched young rarely fly out. The incubation period is between 13 and 17 days; if the weather persists, it takes even longer. The duration of the nestling period also depends on the weather; on average it is 16 days. After the fledgling, the young birds are looked after by their parents for about a month. In the beginning the boys are very compatible with each other and sleep close together. Gradually, however, the intraspecific aggression awakens and the young birds leave the breeding ground. Details on dismigration are not available.

No information is available on breeding success; the average departure rate is also unknown. Predation by a number of nest predators as well as persistent bad weather during the breeding and rearing period are the main reasons for failed broods. The very frequent clutch parasitization by the cuckoo also has a success- minimizing effect .

Systematics

The first bellows of this type were scientifically evaluated as early as 1820 and assigned to various species of shrike ( L. collurio , L. cristatus and L. isabellinus ) as a subspecies. In 1873 Nikolai Alexejewitsch Severzow mentioned Lanius phoenicuroides in the Journal of Ornithology , but gave no evidence. In 1875 Herman Schalow finally described the species as Otomela phoenicuroides and explicitly declared that it was synonymous with the shrike species mentioned by the Russian naturalist in 1873. Schalow gave Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan as the place where the type specimens were collected . As a result, the species was mostly viewed as a subspecies of L. isabellinus in western ornithology , while Russian ornithologists, especially Panov, continued to emphasize the species status of the Turkestan strangler. In 2005 the IOU followed the recommendations of Rasmussen and Anderton and placed Lanius phoenicuroides in species rank. This revision was justified with obvious behavioral, morphological and molecular genetic differences to L. isabellinus . This assessment is currently (2018) generally recognized.

Since the species occurs sympatricly with L. collurio and L. cristatus and often hybridizes in a fertile manner , a large number of subspecies have been described; Thus ( L. p. karelini ), a largely stabilized, gray-headed hybrid of L. collurio and L. phoenicuroides, was viewed as a lowland form of the red-tailed shrike and even ranked as a species by many authors. It is doubtful whether there are contact zones between the red-tailed shrike and the Isabellus shrike.

At the moment (end of 2018) no subspecies are recognized.

Persistence and Threat

No detailed studies are available on the population and development of the red-tailed shrike. Panov describes the species as a widespread breeding bird that is common in some regions, but also states that it has disappeared in places, for example from large parks in Almaty . In the north-western area of ​​the breeding area tendencies towards the Caspian Depression were found. The IUCN assesses the population as stable and sees no immediate threats; As a result, the inventory situation is assessed with LC = least concern (not at risk).

literature

  • Hans-Günther Bauer, Einhard Bezzel and Wolfgang Fiedler (eds.): The compendium of birds in Central Europe: Everything about biology, endangerment and protection. Volume 2: Passeriformes - passerine birds. Aula-Verlag Wiebelsheim, Wiesbaden 2005, ISBN 3-89104-648-0 .
  • 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 .
  • Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliot, Jordi Sargatal (Eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline-Tits to Shrikes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2008, ISBN 978-84-96553-45-3 .
  • Norbert Lefranc, Tim Worfolk: Shrikes. A Guide to the Shrikes of the World. Pica Press, 1997, ISBN 1-4081-3505-1 .
  • Josep del Hoyo , N. Collar and GM Kirwan: Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, DA Christie, E. de Juana (Eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018 (accessed from: https://www.hbw.com/node/1343838 on August 29, 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 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Very good photos - scroll down to get an overview
  2. ↑ Pamela C. Rasmussen and John C. Anderton: Birds of South Asia . The Ripley Guide. Vol. 2. S 349; Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions, Washington, DC & Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-66-0
  3. ↑ a b EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, pp. 568-591.
  4. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, pp. 546-554.
  5. ↑ a b EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, pp. 516-521.
  6. ↑ a b c Lanius phoenicuroides in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f J. del Hoyo, N. Collar and GM Kirwan: Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides) ... In: Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/1343838 on August 29, 2018).
  8. ^ T. Harris, K. Franklin: Shrikes & Bush-Shrikes [...]. 2000, p. 190.
  9. ↑ 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. 1129ff, ISBN 3-89104-535-2 .
  10. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 542.
  11. ^ T. Harris, K. Franklin: Shrikes & Bush-Shrikes [...]. 2000, p. 191.
  12. ^ A b c T. Harris, K. Franklin: Shrikes & Bush-Shrikes […]. 2000, p. 192.
  13. ↑ Voice examples at xeno-canto
  14. ↑ a b EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 522.
  15. ↑ 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. 1137–1138, ISBN 3-89104-535-2 .
  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, p. 1137, ISBN 3-89104-535-2 .
  17. ↑ 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. 1138, ISBN 3-89104-535-2 .
  18. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, pp. 526-527.
  19. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 553.
  20. ↑ a b EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 544.
  21. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 529ff.
  22. ↑ a b EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 538.
  23. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 535.
  24. ↑ a b EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 541.
  25. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 538ff.
  26. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 545.
  27. ^ Journal of Ornithology, Volume 21, 1873, p. 347.
  28. ↑ Note: According to Panov, this form error led to the fact that not Severzow, but Shalov is named as the first descriptor
  29. ↑ Journal for Ornithology 4th volume, 3rd volume 1875 pp. 148-150
  30. ↑ Note: Otomela was introduced by Bonaparte in 1853 for a series of medium-sized brown and reddish-brown stranglers and is now obsolete.
  31. ↑ IOC Bird Names / Strangler
  32. ^ Eugene McCarthy: Handbook of Avian Hybrids. Oxford University Press 2006.
  33. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, pp. 518-519.
  34. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 521ff.
  35. ↑ EN Panov: The True Shrikes (Laniidae) […]. 2011, p. 525.

Web links

Commons : Red-tailed Shrike ( Lanius phoenicuroides )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files