Birds · Passeriformes · Laniidae

Woodchat Shrike

Lanius senator

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The woodchat shrike is a predatory bird of the Mediterranean countryside, the male showing a striking chestnut cap, a black mask and a black back with large white patches. It hunts large insects from perches and impales them on thorn bushes to form larders. It is a trans-Saharan migrant that breeds in Spain and spends the winter in tropical Africa. Its European population has been in decline for decades because of the loss of insects and of mixed farmland.

Weight

30 g – 45 g

Size

17 cm – 19 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

GeneralIts chestnut crown sets it apart; it watches from wires and bare branches.
It impales grasshoppers, beetles and lizards on thorn bushes and barbed wire, forming visible larders that also work as a shop window: the males with the best larder attract more females.
It depends on large insects, and its European decline goes hand in hand with the general fall in insect biomass documented over recent decades.
It is a trans-Saharan migrant weighing less than forty grams: it crosses the desert twice a year between the Spanish dehesas and the savannahs of the Sahel.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Dehesa, olive groves and farmland with scattered trees
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 15 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 5 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanius_senator