Wildlifeof Nepal
Great Grey Shrike
Crows, Drongos, Orioles & Shrikes
Photo: Tisha Mukherjee · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lanius excubitor
Basic stats
Diet
Carnivorous; rodents make up over half the diet
Range
Breeds generally north of 50°N in northern Europe and Asia; most populations migrate south in winter
Size
22–26cm
Weight
About 60–70g
The great grey shrike is a large predatory songbird 22–26 cm long, typically weighing 60 to 70 g, though weights of 48–81 g are recorded in the nominate subspecies. It forms a superspecies with the Iberian grey shrike, the Chinese grey shrike and the American loggerhead shrike. Males and females are similar, pearly grey above with a black eye-mask and white underparts, and the legs and feet are blackish (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds generally north of 50° north in northern Europe and Asia, and most populations migrate south to temperate regions in winter. It is carnivorous, with rodents making up over half its diet, and its scientific name literally means killer of nine, referring to the food caches (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Great Grey Shrike eat?
- Carnivorous; rodents make up over half the diet
- Where is the Great Grey Shrike found?
- Breeds generally north of 50°N in northern Europe and Asia; most populations migrate south in winter
- How big is the Great Grey Shrike?
- 22–26cm
- How much does the Great Grey Shrike weigh?
- About 60–70g