Dec 09
by Admin in Rajasthan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, long tailed shrike, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Shrike

Long tailed shrike on a stick, Jaipur

The long-tailed shrike or rufous-backed shrike is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes. They are found widely distributed across Asia and there are variations in plumage across the range. The species ranges across much of Asia, both on the mainland and the eastern archipelagos. The eastern or Himalayan subspecies, L. s. tricolor, is sometimes called the black-headed shrike. Although there are considerable differences in plumage among the subspecies, they all have a long and narrow black tail, have a black mask and forehead, rufous rump and flanks and a small white patch on the shoulder. The species is found across Asia from Kazakhstan to New Guinea. It is found mainly in scrub and open habitats. Many of the temperate zone populations are migratory, moving south in winter while those in the tropics tend to be sedentary although they may make short distance movements. Subspecies caniceps of southern India is found in winter in the dry coastal zone of southern India. This bird has a characteristic upright “shrike” attitude when perched on a bush, from which it glides down at an angle to take lizards, large insects, small birds and rodents. They maintain feeding territories and are usually […]
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Nov 04
by Admin in Rajasthan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Rufous tailed shrike, Shrike

Rufous tailed shrike juvenile, DNP

This migratory medium-sized passerine eats large insects, small birds, rodents and lizards. Like other shrikes it hunts from prominent perches, and impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a larder. It breeds in open cultivated country, preferably with thorn bushes. The red-tailed shrike or Turkestan shrike,is a member of the shrike family. It was formerly considered conspecific with the isabelline shrike and the red-backed shrike. Until recently, usually treated as conspecific with Isabelline wheatear, but differs in its tawny-rufous vs pale greyish crown; darker sandy-grey upperparts and tail; bold vs indistinct white supercilium and strong white vs buffy underparts. It is classified as least concern by IUCN.
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Sep 29
by Admin in Rajasthan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Shrike, southern grey shrike

Southern grey shrike, Jorbeed

The southern grey shrike is also called as great grey shrike. It is a large songbird species in the shrike family.  The general colour of the upperparts is pearl grey, tinged brownish towards the east of its Eurasian range. The cheeks and chin as well as a thin and often hard-to-see stripe above the eye are white, and a deep black mask extends from the beak through the eye to the ear coverts; the area immediately above the beak is grey. Males and females are about the same size, and do not differ conspicuously in appearance except by direct comparison. In the female the underparts are greyer and are usually visibly barred greyish-brown, and the white wing and tail markings are characteristically less in extent. The preferred habitat is generally open grassland, perhaps with shrubs interspersed, and adjacent lookout points. These are normally trees – at forest edges in much of the habitat. The great grey shrike eats small vertebrates and large invertebrates. To hunt, this bird perches on the topmost branch of a tree, telegraph pole or similar elevated spot in a characteristic. It is classified as Least Concern by IUCN.
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Feb 24
by Admin in Thattekad 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Phillipines Shrike, Shrike, Thattekad

Philipines Shrike, Thattekad

Philippine shrike breeds in Korea and eastern China wintering mainly in Taiwan and the Philippines but also on the Andaman Islands and in peninsular India. Shrikes are excellent perchers and posers where it perches on the tops of thorny bushes in search of prey. It is classified as least concern by IUCN
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Dec 17
by Admin in Bangalore 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bay backed shrike, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Kestrel, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Shrike

Bay backed shrike on lantana

Prey may be impaled upon a sharp point, such as a thorn. Thus secured they can be ripped with the strong hooked bill, but its feet are not suited for tearing. It is smallish shrike at 17 cm, maroon-brown above with a pale rump and long black tail with white edges.Shrikes are great posers as they perch right at the end of the twig but are very skittish as mostly they will fly away even when approached carefully.
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