Shrikes (Laniidae)
Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) - HBW 13, p. 786
French: Pie-grièche grise
German: Raubwürger
Spanish: Alcaudón Norteño
Other common names: Grey Shrike; Northern Shrike (borealis, invictus); North Siberian Shrike (sibiricus); Steppe Shrike (homeyeri); Altai Shrike (mollis)
Taxonomy: Lanius excubitor Linnaeus, 1758, Europe = Sweden.
Forms a superspecies with L. ludovicianus, L. meridionalis and L. sphenocercus. Sometimes treated as conspecific with L. meridionalis, but the two overlap slightly in range, with little intergradation, in C Asia. Geographical variation complex and not fully understood, and obscured by individual variation and intergradation between races; in Nearctic, invictus apparently interbreeds with borealis in C Canada (NE Manitoba and N Ontario) and is sometimes synonymized with latter; sibiricus and mollis intergrade in NW Mongolia. Prop.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Lanius excubitor Linnaeus, 1758, Europe = Sweden.
Forms a superspecies with L. ludovicianus, L. meridionalis and L. sphenocercus. Sometimes treated as conspecific with L. meridionalis, but the two overlap slightly in range, with little intergradation, in C Asia. Geographical variation complex and not fully understood, and obscured by individual variation and intergradation between races; in Nearctic, invictus apparently interbreeds with borealis in C Canada (NE Manitoba and N Ontario) and is sometimes synonymized with latter; sibiricus and mollis intergrade in NW Mongolia. Proposed race leucopterus (from upper R Naryn, in Kyrgyzstan) regarded as synonymous with homeyeri. Eight subspecies provisionally recognized.
Forms a superspecies with L. ludovicianus, L. meridionalis and L. sphenocercus. Sometimes treated as conspecific with L. meridionalis, but the two overlap slightly in range, with little intergradation, in C Asia. Geographical variation complex and not fully understood, and obscured by individual variation and intergradation between races; in Nearctic, invictus apparently interbreeds with borealis in C Canada (NE Manitoba and N Ontario) and is sometimes synonymized with latter; sibiricus and mollis intergrade in NW Mongolia. Proposed race leucopterus (from upper R Naryn, in Kyrgyzstan) regarded as synonymous with homeyeri. Eight subspecies provisionally recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- invictus Grinnell, 1900 - breeds Alaska (except N) and NW & NC Canada (Yukon and Northwest Territories, and extreme N British Columbia E to N Ontario); non-breeding S Canada and most of W & C USA.
- borealis Vieillot, 1808 - breeds NE Canada (N Ontario and N & C Quebec E to Labrador); non-breeding SE Canada and C & E USA.
- excubitor Linnaeus, 1758 - breeds N, C & NE Europe (E from Scandinavia and C France) E to NW Siberia (lower R Ob), S to S Russia (Kazan area); non-breeding S Scandinavia, Britain and W & S France E to Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaspia.
- invictus Grinnell, 1900 - breeds Alaska (except N) and NW & NC Canada (Yukon and Northwest Territories, and extreme N British Columbia E to N Ontario); non-breeding S Canada and most of W & C USA.
- borealis Vieillot, 1808 - breeds NE Canada (N Ontario and N & C Quebec E to Labrador); non-breeding SE Canada and C & E USA.
- excubitor Linnaeus, 1758 - breeds N, C & NE Europe (E from Scandinavia and C France) E to NW Siberia (lower R Ob), S to S Russia (Kazan area); non-breeding S Scandinavia, Britain and W & S France E to Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaspia.
- sibiricus Bogdanov, 1881 - breeds C & E Siberia E to Kolyma Basin, Anadyrland and Chukotsk Peninsula, S to L Baikal, N Mongolia and SE Russia (N Amurland), possibly also N Kurils (Paramushir I); non-breeding SC Siberia, Mongolia, NE China (N Manchuria, perhaps N Hebei) and Ussuriland.
- homeyeri Cabanis, 1873 - breeds SE Europe (E Balkans, Bulgaria, S Romania, Ukraine E to foothills of S Urals) and SW Siberia (E to N foothills of Altai, including Naryn region); non-breeding SW & C Asia.
- mollis Eversmann, 1853 - breeds CS Russia (Altai and Sayan Mts) and NW Mongolia; non-breeding also N China.
- funereus Menzbier, 1894 - Dzhungarian Alatau Mts (E Kazakhstan) and S & E Tien Shan (Kyrgystan-NW China).
- bianchii E. J. O. Hartert, 1907 - breeds Sakhalin I and S Kuril Is; non-breeding N Japan (Hokkaido, rarely farther S).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A close of bird alarming, different call Locality Janubio Marsh, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (ssp Koenigi)
Eric Roualet 23 December 2012 20 weeks ago 25 sec 4.2 -
A juvenile bird perching, opening its bill once. Locality Kurefjorden, Ostfold County, Norway (ssp excubitor)
Eric Roualet 29 September 2012 33 weeks ago 23 sec 4.2 -
An adult eating an insect Locality Sourbrodt, Liège Province, Belgium (ssp excubitor)
Jean Hupperetz 31 May 2002 9 years ago 15 sec 4 -
female perched on oak sapling in stiff breeze, flies Locality Chester River Field Research Centre, Queen Anne's County, Maryland, USA (United States) (ssp borealis)
Martin Kennewell 6 March 2011 2 years ago 46 sec 3.8 -
A bird rubbing its legg Locality Janubio Marsh, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (ssp Koenigi)
Eric Roualet 23 December 2012 20 weeks ago 28 sec 3.8 -
A perched bird, possible a female Locality Maridalen, Oslo & Akershus, Norway (ssp excubitor)
Eric Roualet 5 November 2008 2 years ago 16 sec 3.8 -
A view of a bird perched on rock Locality Janubio Marsh, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (ssp Koenigi)
Eric Roualet 23 December 2012 20 weeks ago 23 sec 3.6 -
Differents views of a bird calling Locality Janubio Marsh, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (ssp Koenigi)
Eric Roualet 23 December 2012 20 weeks ago 16 sec 3.4 -
A bird perched Locality Västra Amtervik, Värmland County, Sweden (ssp excubitor)
Eric Roualet 18 September 2012 34 weeks ago 9 sec 3.3 -
An adult perched in windy conditions Locality Surrey, England, Great Britain (ssp excubitor)
Greg Baker 16 March 1994 2 years ago 41 sec 3.3 -
An adult perched on barbed wire Locality Sourbrodt, Liège Province, Belgium (ssp excubitor)
Jean Hupperetz 31 May 2002 9 years ago 17 sec 3.3 -
A bird calling then scratching its head Locality Janubio Marsh, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (ssp Koenigi)
Eric Roualet 23 December 2012 20 weeks ago 11 sec 3 -
A bird perched on the top of a twig Locality Maridalen, Oslo & Akershus, Norway (ssp excubitor)
Eric Roualet 13 January 2008 2 years ago 9 sec 3 -
A bird looking around for preys Locality Plateau de Champagnac, Cantal, Auvergne, France
Alain Beaufils 19 August 2007 3 years ago 18 sec 3 -
A bird standing on a snowy field. Locality Oulu, Oulu Province, Finland (ssp excubitor)
Josep del Hoyo 27 March 2010 2 years ago 22 sec 2.9 -
A bird stretching its wing Locality Janubio Marsh, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (ssp Koenigi)
Eric Roualet 23 December 2012 20 weeks ago 10 sec 2.8 -
female perched on post, flies Locality Chester River Field Research Centre, Queen Anne's County, Maryland, USA (United States) (ssp borealis)
Martin Kennewell 6 March 2011 2 years ago 21 sec 2.3 -
A bird perched in a pine tree. Locality North Holland Province, Netherlands (ssp excubitor)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 10 January 2007 3 years ago 11 sec 2
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