Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Bay-backed Shrike
Lanius vittatus
Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus) is a member of the Laniidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 20.8 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 vittatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 20.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Laniidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Bay-backed 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 Bay-backed Shrike is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus) belongs to the Laniidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sc.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20.8 g, with a wing length of about 8.5 cm and a tail of around 8.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 4.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bay-backed Shrike?
The Bay-backed Shrike is a small bird that weighs around 20.8 g.
Where does the Bay-backed Shrike live?
The Bay-backed Shrike is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sc, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Bay-backed Shrike belong to?
The Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus) belongs to the Laniidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Bay-backed Shrike eat?
The Bay-backed Shrike is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bay-backed Shrike migrate?
The Bay-backed Shrike is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Bay-backed 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 Bay-backed Shrike make?
1 real field recording of the Bay-backed 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 Bay-backed Shrike's range?
The Bay-backed Shrike has a mapped global range of about 4.2 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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