Red-backed Shrike

Adult males have a blue-grey head with a prominent black 'mask' and a chestnut-red back. Females and juveniles are browner with crescent-shaped barring on the underside.

Black eye mask, blue-grey crown, chestnut back, and a relatively long, hooked black bill.

Length: 16-18 cm; Wingspan: 24-27 cm; Weight: 25-35 g

The song is a musical warble containing mimicry; the call is a harsh, repetitive 'chee-uk' or 'chak-chak'.

Primarily large insects like beetles and grasshoppers, but also small birds, frogs, and rodents.

Open countryside with scattered thorny bushes, heathland, and traditional orchards.

Long-distance migrant; breeds in Europe and Asia, winters in the Southern Half of Africa.

Builds a cup-shaped nest in dense, prickly bushes like hawthorn. Lays 3-7 eggs per clutch; both parents guard the territory.

Isabelline Shrike (paler, lacks the heavy chestnut back) and Woodchat Shrike (distinct white patches and reddish crown).

Acts as a primary controller of large insect and small lizard populations within its scrubland habitat.

Least Concern (IUCN); however, populations have declined significantly in parts of Western Europe, especially the UK.

Look for them perched prominently on top of bushes, scanning the ground for movement. They are most active during warm, sunny days.

This bird is famous for its 'larder' behavior, where it impales prey on thorns to store food for later or for courtship displays.