Long-tailed Shrike, Hong Kong

By Charlie • November 20, 2006 • No comments yet

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius scach scach
Hong Kong, 10 November 2006

The Long-tailed Shrike Lanius scach has a huge breeding area, from central Asia to the Chinese Pacific coast, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea. It is normally a scrub species associated with lightly wooded country, cultivated areas, and gardens. Generally a bird of lowland areas the nominate form scach breeds up to 9,800 ft (3,000 m) in China.

Nine forms are recognised. The nominate scach, which inhabits China, is the largest; erythronotus, widespread in central Asia and in the Indian subcontinent, is similar, but distinctly smaller, somewhat duller, and with a narrower black band on the forehead; caniceps from southern India and Sri Lanka is paler, with less rufous on its upperparts. The race longicaudatus from Thailand has - as the name suggests - a very long tail.

long-tailed shrike

Long-tailed Shrike L. s. scach

long-tailed shrike india
Long-tailed Shrike L. s. tricolor, Kolkata, September 2005

long-tailed shrike india
Long-tailed Shrike L. s. erythronotus, Mumbai, April 2005

For photos of the closely related Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus please go to Grey-backed Shrike, Thailand

All photographs copyright Charlie Moores.

Tags: china, hong kong, shrikes

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Charlie

Charlie works for an airline and has birded all over the world for twenty years. He wants to be a writer, and thinks no-one would believe his life could be so charmed if he didn't take photos of as many of the birds he sees as possible. Blogging with 10,000 Birds fits his aims, needs, and insecurities perfectly. Really - do birders get much more fortunate than this?

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