How to identify the Red-backed Shrike

To correctly identify the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio), check each of these features. Birds can be tricky: habit, habitat, and call often confirm a sighting that a single photo cannot.

Size at a glance

Length

16-18 cm

Wingspan

24-27 cm

Weight

25-35 g

Physical features to check

1. 1

   Plumage

   Overall feather coloration and pattern.

   Adult male: Pale grey crown and nape, prominent black mask through the eye. Back and scapulars are rufous-chestnut 'reddish-brown'. Rump and uppertail-coverts are grey. Tail is black with white outer feathers and white tips to central feathers. Underparts are white to pinkish-white, often with a faint peachy tinge on the flanks. Wings are dark brown to blackish with a faint pale wing panel. Adult female: Upperparts are rufous-brown, often mottled or finely barred, lacking the distinct grey head and black mask of the male. Underparts are off-white to buff, heavily barred crescent-shaped or scaled pattern on the breast and flanks. Tail is brownish with rufous bases and narrow white tips to outer feathers. Juvenile: Similar to female but with more distinct and extensive barring/scaling on both upperparts and underparts, including the back and rump. Overall a rather mottled, cryptic brown appearance. The mask is indistinct or absent.

2. 2

   Beak shape

   Shape and color of the bill: a key field mark.

   Strong, hooked bill, dark grey to black, with a paler base to the lower mandible.

3. 3

   Eye color

   Iris color and any distinctive eye markings.

   Dark brown.

4. 4

   Leg color

   Leg and foot color.

   Dark grey to black.

5. 5

   Distinguishing features

   Standout features that separate this species.

   Strong sexual dimorphism, 'butcher bird' impaling behavior, grey head and mask on males contrasted with reddish-brown back, often seen perching upright on prominent vantage points.

6. 6

   Juvenile appearance

   How young birds differ from adults.

   Mottled brown and heavily barred on both upperparts and underparts, resembling a duller, more uniformly patterned version of an adult female but with more extensive barring.

7. 7

   Seasonal changes

   Plumage variation between breeding and non-breeding seasons.

   Plumage does not undergo significant seasonal changes, though colors may appear slightly brighter after a fresh molt and duller before molt due to wear and fading. Juveniles acquire adult plumage after their first complete molt in late summer/autumn.

8. 8

   Sexual dimorphism

   How males and females differ.

   Pronounced. Males have a grey head, black mask, and bright rufous back. Females are duller, brown-backed with barring on underparts.

Key field marks

• Male Plumage. Look for the distinctive combination of a grey head, black eye-mask, and rufous-chestnut 'red-back'. Underparts are usually pale pinkish-white.
• Female Plumage. Identify by the brown upperparts (lacking grey head and strong mask), and prominent crescentic barring/scaling on the buffy-white underparts.
• Juvenile Plumage. Heavily barred and mottled brown overall, with a scalloped appearance. The bill often has a larger pale base.
• Behavior. Observe for its characteristic 'perch-and-pounce' hunting strategy from an exposed branch or wire. Look for impaled prey ('larder') on thorns in its territory.
• Voice. Listen for its melodious, warbling song, often with mimicry, or its harsh 'tschak' alarm calls.
• Habitat. Search in open areas with scattered thorny bushes, hedgerows, and tall vegetation, often agricultural or semi-natural landscapes.

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