Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitor
Stor tornskade er en 26 centimeter stor spurvefugl, der er udbredt i store dele af Nordamerika og Eurasien. Det er en sjælden ynglefugl i Danmark, men er ret almindelig som træk- og vintergæst fra den skandinaviske halvø og videre østover.
-sized and long-tailed: silver-grey crown and back, white cheek and underside, broad black mask through the eye. Black wings with a white flash across the flight feathers; long black tail with white outer feathers.
Can be confused with
- Red-backed Shrike — Red-backed Shrike has a rusty-red back and grey head and is here only in summer; it winters in Africa.
- Lanius minor — Lesser Grey Shrike has a black forehead above the bill base, a shorter tail and longer primaries; adults show a pink flush on the breast.
Plumage and variation
Male and female: The sexes look alike and can rarely be separated in the field; the female may show faint grey-brown barring below and slightly less white in wing and tail.
Juvenile: Juveniles have a less distinct mask and a greyish-tinged underside with grey-brown barring.
Voice
The call is a harsh, grating "kaaeh, kaaeh"; the song consists of soft, murmured whistled notes.
Behaviour
Hunts from an exposed lookout — bush top, fence post or wire — and can hover like a kestrel. Impales mice, small birds, frogs and lizards on thorns and barbed wire as a store against bad weather.
When and where
All but gone as a breeder, but a widespread — if not numerous — winter visitor across most of the country; numbers swing sharply from winter to winter. Found inland on heaths, bogs and meadows with scattered bushes and trees as lookouts, and only rarely on the coast. The first arrive in late September, the last leave in mid-April.
Facts
Wingspan
32 cm
Conservation status
ikke truet
Relatives
Family
shrikes
Laniidae
Order
passerines
Passeriformes
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