Photo: DrPhilippLehmann / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-tailed Shrike
Lanius phoenicuroides
Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides) is a member of the Laniidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 28 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Laniidae Shrikes
- Genus Lanius
- Species phoenicuroides
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Laniidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-tailed Shrike is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Red-tailed Shrike is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides) is a member of the Laniidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL c Asia to Pakistan.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28 g, with a wing length of about 9.1 cm and a tail of around 7.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-tailed Shrike?
The Red-tailed Shrike is a small bird that weighs around 28 g.
Where does the Red-tailed Shrike live?
The Red-tailed Shrike is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL c Asia to Pakistan, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-tailed Shrike belong to?
The Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides) belongs to the Laniidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red-tailed Shrike eat?
The Red-tailed Shrike is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red-tailed Shrike migrate?
The Red-tailed Shrike is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Red-tailed Shrike endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red-tailed Shrike make?
1 real field recording of the Red-tailed Shrike — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-tailed Shrike's range?
The Red-tailed Shrike has a mapped global range of about 3.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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