Red-backed shrike Lanius collurio

Features

The red-backed shrike (its Latin name is Lanius collurio) is a songbird from the family of shrikes (Laniidae). It grows between 16 and 18 cm in length and belongs to smaller species in the family.

Species	Bird
Living space	Field, Meadow
Size	16 -18 cm
Weight	28 g

Description

The red-backed shrike female is strikingly coloured, with a dark crown, a black faceand reddish-brown wing feathers (this is what it gets its name from). The females and adolescent specimens are slightly less noticeable with the transversely striped lower side and dark hips. Very often we see them standing upright on an exposed prowl, for example on a barbed wire or fence. As they catch their prey, they sometimes place it on thorns or barbed wire for stock. They live in landscapes such as marshes, moors, stone lawns or extensively cultivated pastures. In Europe, we can only see them in summer. The European population spends winters in southeastern Africa. Like other shrikes, the red-backed shrike is carnivorous, which is indicated by its strong beak with a curved tip. It mainly feeds on large insects, and among their prey are vertebrates, e.g. small birds, reptiles and rodents. The red-backed shrike prefers thecultural landscape; it lives in a habitat with grasslands, cultivated areas and low shrubbery.