Shrikes (Laniidae)
Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) - HBW 13, p. 787
French: Pie-grièche méridionale
German: Mittelmeer-Raubwürger
Spanish: Alcaudón Real
Other common names: Indian Grey Shrike (lahtora); Steppe Grey Shrike (pallidirostris)
Taxonomy: Lanius meridionalis Temminck, 1820, Provence, France.
Forms a superspecies with L. ludovicianus, L. excubitor and L. sphenocercus. Sometimes treated as conspecific with L. excubitor, but the two overlap slightly in range, with little intergradation, in C Asia. Recent molecular-genetic studies indicate that present species may be closer to L. ludovicianus, but this possibility requires further research. Geographical variation complex and partly clinal, races intergrading. Proposed race jebelmarrae (described from Jebel Marra, Darfur, in Sudan) synonymized with leucopygus, but may warrant r.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Lanius meridionalis Temminck, 1820, Provence, France.
Forms a superspecies with L. ludovicianus, L. excubitor and L. sphenocercus. Sometimes treated as conspecific with L. excubitor, but the two overlap slightly in range, with little intergradation, in C Asia. Recent molecular-genetic studies indicate that present species may be closer to L. ludovicianus, but this possibility requires further research. Geographical variation complex and partly clinal, races intergrading. Proposed race jebelmarrae (described from Jebel Marra, Darfur, in Sudan) synonymized with leucopygus, but may warrant recognition; further study required. Eleven subspecies currently recognized.
Forms a superspecies with L. ludovicianus, L. excubitor and L. sphenocercus. Sometimes treated as conspecific with L. excubitor, but the two overlap slightly in range, with little intergradation, in C Asia. Recent molecular-genetic studies indicate that present species may be closer to L. ludovicianus, but this possibility requires further research. Geographical variation complex and partly clinal, races intergrading. Proposed race jebelmarrae (described from Jebel Marra, Darfur, in Sudan) synonymized with leucopygus, but may warrant recognition; further study required. Eleven subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- meridionalis Temminck, 1820 - Iberian Peninsula and S France.
- koenigi E. J. O. Hartert, 1901 - Canary Is.
- algeriensis Lesson, 1839 - NW Africa along Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts E to N Tunisia and N Libya (N Tripolitania, N Cyrenaica), S to coastal NW Mauritania and N Sahara.
- meridionalis Temminck, 1820 - Iberian Peninsula and S France.
- koenigi E. J. O. Hartert, 1901 - Canary Is.
- algeriensis Lesson, 1839 - NW Africa along Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts E to N Tunisia and N Libya (N Tripolitania, N Cyrenaica), S to coastal NW Mauritania and N Sahara.
- elegans Swainson, 1832 - N & C Sahara from NE Mauritania, NW Mali, and S Tunisia E to C & S Libya, Egypt (including N & C Sinai Peninsula), NE Sudan (S to Port Sudan) and SW Israel; possibly also NE Niger.
- theresae R. Meinertzhagen, 1953 - S Lebanon and N Israel.
- leucopygus Ehrenberg, 1833 - S Sahara in C & S Mauritania, C Mali, C & S Niger, NE Nigeria (probably also extreme N Cameroon), S Chad and C Sudan (including Darfur).
- aucheri Bonaparte, 1853 - CE Sudan (S from Port Sudan), Eritrea, N Ethiopia, NW Somalia, Iraq, S Iran, Syria, SE Israel, SE Sinai Peninsula, W Arabian Peninsula and Oman.
- buryi Lorenz von Liburnau & Hellmayr, 1901 - Yemen.
- uncinatus P. L. Sclater & Hartlaub, 1881 - Socotra I.
- pallidirostris Cassin, 1852 - C Asia from NW Caspian Sea (extreme S Russia) and S Kazakhstan E to Mongolia and N China and, in W, S to NE Iran, Afghanistan, N Pakistan and W foothills of Tien Shan.
- lahtora (Sykes, 1832) - Pakistan (except N) and N India (foothills of Himalayas) S to Karnataka, E to C Bangladesh.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Southern Grey Shrike Locality Qatar
sulqatar 2 years ago 1 min 55 sec 4.7 -
A bird in a palm, calling Locality Erfoud, Meknès-Tafilalet Region, Morocco (ssp probable intergrade elegans / algeriensis)
Josep del Hoyo 3 April 2007 5 years ago 40 sec 4.7 -
A close-up of a bird perched in a tree. Locality Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch, Kutch District, Gujarat, India (ssp lahtora)
Josep del Hoyo 17 February 2011 1 year ago 22 sec 4.5 -
An individual perched in a bush, calling and looking around. Locality Desert National Park, Rajasthan, India (ssp lahtora)
Josep del Hoyo 22 February 2011 1 year ago 21 sec 4.1 -
An adult feeding a juvenile in a palm tree, then stretching its head and calling. Locality Erfoud, Meknès-Tafilalet Region, Morocco (ssp probable intergrade elegans / algeriensis)
Josep del Hoyo 3 April 2007 5 years ago 33 sec 4.1 -
A bird in a bush Locality Asrir, Guelmim-Es Semara Region, Morocco (ssp algeriensis)
Pascal Vagner 27 March 2012 36 weeks ago 24 sec 4
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Wintering adult, rare in the Gambia.
Locality River Gambia National Park, Central River Division, The Gambia (ssp Lanius meridionalis elegans)
Paul Cools 5 February 2012 30 weeks ago 4.4 -
A bird calling.
Locality Beit She'an Valley, Israel (ssp aucheri)
Lior Kislev 17 September 2010 2 years ago 4.4 -
Sub species pallidirostris (Steppe grey Shrike)
Locality Kutch District, Gujarat, India
jugal Tiwari 22 November 2009 2 years ago 4.4 -
Male adult
Locality Beja, Baixo Alentejo, Alentejo Region, Portugal (ssp meridionalis)
marianophotos 26 October 2011 1 year ago 4.4 -
Feeding on a lizard
Locality Kutch District, Gujarat, India
jugal Tiwari 14 August 2008 2 years ago 4.4 -
on wire
Locality Ramot, Golan Heights, Israel
Lior Kislev 29 February 2012 1 year ago 4.2
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Alarm calls Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
(ssp lahtora)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 July 2005 3 years ago 4 -
Song of a male Locality Barranco de la Torre, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
(ssp koenigi)
Stuart Fisher 8 March 2008 3 years ago 4 -
Has variety of calls Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 April 2005 3 years ago 4
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