Red-backed shrike

Latin Lanius collurio L.
Estonian Punaselg-õgija

Also known as: butcher bird

Status in Estonia

Breeding and migratory bird.

Description

The male bird’s breast and belly are light brownish-pink, the sides of the body are streak-free, the throat is white, the crown is light grey and the back is red-brown. A broad black eye-stripe sometimes reaches across the base of the beak, a narrow white stripe often runs above the mask that extends around the forehead. The tail is black, the edge of the body is white. The female bird’s underside is beige-white with broad grey streaks. The crown is brown or brownish grey, the nape is greyish and the back is duller than in male birds. Brown eye stripe, frequently with a pale lore stripe; dark brown tail with a narrow white edge. The juvenile resembles the female bird, but the top side is more reddish-brown and densely striped.

Size

Body length 16–18 cm, wingspan 24–27 cm, body mass 25–35 g.

Similar species

Great grey shrike.

Distribution

The red-backed shrike is widespread across Eurasia, including Estonia, depending on the presence of a suitable breeding biotope.

Population

Estonia has 30,000–40,000 breeding pairs.

Occurrence in Estonia

It usually arrives around mid-May and departs in August/September.

Diet

Insects are the primary food source, with small vertebrates being consumed occasionally. Shrikes are known to keep food reserves, which they store on the ends of sharp branch stubs, thorns or barbed wires. Sometimes several large insects, frogs and rarely small birds or mice are found ‘impaled’ in a bush.

Habitat

The habitat consists of scarce leafy, mixed and coniferous stands, with the majority of them being forested meadows and shrubs.

Nesting

Immediately upon arrival, the male bird selects a nesting site for himself. He stays lethargic and silent until the female bird arrives, at which point he becomes energetic and ‘talkative’. The male bird chooses the nesting site, and both birds build the nest. The nest is usually built in a low shrub, a pile of rubbish or in a hedge, using thin dead branches, moss and grass straws. The female typically lays 5–6 greenish eggs in June, which she incubates alone for 14–16 days. The father bird is primarily responsible for feeding the chicks. The chicks are nidicolous, leaving the nest two weeks after hatching.

Conservation status and protection

It belongs to the protected species of category III.

Distribution and population in Lääne County

The red-backed shrike is a common breeding bird in Lääne County. It can be found both in farmland with shrubs and in coastal juniper patches. Red-backed shrikes can be spotted in a variety of locations in Matsalu. They nest in large numbers on the Puise Peninsula, where the birds can be seen nesting in the roadside shrubs.