Red-tailed Shrike

Lanius isabellinus

Other Names

  Isabelline Shrike, Rufous-tailed Shrike   Pie-grièche isabelle   Isabellwürger   Alcaudón Isabel   Isabellatörnskata   Isabelklauwier   Averla isabellina

World: SC Eurasia including Iran, Afghanistan across to W China. Winters in E Africa and from the Near East E to sw India.

Kenya: Migrant which is seen maninly Nov-Apr. Common in dry wooded or open bush areas also cultivation, generally E of the Rift Valley.

Very similar in habit and appearance to the Red-backed Shrike. Like the Red-backed it hunts from a low, exposed perch from which it either glides and hovers to take its prey or drops directly onto it when the prey is below the perch. It will also chase and catch insects in flight. The bird returns to its perch in order to eat or store its prey. As with other shrikes it stores food on spikes (twigs, barbed wire, thorns etc) for later consumption. It needs to impale small mammalian prey before it can consume it and such prey is tackled by eating the head and limbs first.