Long‑tailed Shrike Did you see this animal?
Scientific Name : Lanius schach
Family : Laniidae
Order : Passeriformes
Class : Aves
Phylum : Chordata
Other Name : Rufous-backed Shrike, Rufous-rumped Shrike
Habitat : Villages
Description : Long‑tailed Shrike is a sandy-rufous bird with a black cap and a long tail. It looks black-buff from above and white from below. It has dark brown irises, stout hooked black bill and slate to brownish-black legs and feet. Both sexes look alike and the juvenile is barred from its upper and underparts. This bird is known for its distinctive upright "shrike" posture while perched on bushes, from which it swoops down at an angle to capture prey such as lizards, insects, birds, and rodents. They maintain separate feeding territories and are typically found alone or in pairs that are well-spaced apart. Some individuals have been observed engaging in playful behavior, fighting over perches. Their usual calls are harsh and scolding, often compared to the sound of a frog being caught by a snake. Long-tailed shrikes are capable of vocal mimicry, incorporating the calls of other species such as lapwings, cuckoos, puppies, and squirrels into their songs. They have a diverse diet and have been observed capturing fish from streams, as well as small snakes.
Breeding occurs during the summer in temperate regions. The nest is constructed from thorny twigs, rags, and hair, and is situated in a thorny bush or tree. The typical clutch size ranges from 3 to 6 eggs, which are incubated by both parents for a period of approximately 13 to 16 days. Once hatched, the young chicks are often fed with small pieces of birds caught by the parents.
Breeding occurs during the summer in temperate regions. The nest is constructed from thorny twigs, rags, and hair, and is situated in a thorny bush or tree. The typical clutch size ranges from 3 to 6 eggs, which are incubated by both parents for a period of approximately 13 to 16 days. Once hatched, the young chicks are often fed with small pieces of birds caught by the parents.
Distribution in Bangladesh
Other Species from Group
-
Lanius vittatus
(Bay-backed Shrike) -
Rhipidura albicollis
(White‑throated Fantail) -
Pericrocotus ethologus
(Long‑tailed Minivet) -
Dicrurus remifer
(Lesser Racquet‑tailed Drongo) -
Aegithina tiphia
(Common Iora) -
Terpsiphone paradisi
(Indian Paradise-flycatcher) -
Tephrodornis pondicerianus
(Common Wood-shrike) -
Lalage melanoptera
(Black‑headed Cuckoo-shrike) -
Corvus macrorhynchos
(Large‑billed Crow) -
Corvus splendens
(House Crow)
Species groups
-
Bee-eaters -
Booby -
frigatebird -
phalarope -
tropicbird -
Martins and Swallows -
Crows, Drongos & allies -
Woodpeckers -
Eared Nightjars -
Ibises & Spoonbills -
Trogons -
Coucals -
Pelicans -
Darters -
Gulls -
Warblers and allies -
Flowerpeckers & Sunbirds -
Sparrows, Wagtails, Pipits a& allies -
moonbird -
Hawks & Eagles -
Snipes, Sandpipers, Plovers & allies -
Small Kingfishers -
Cisticola & Prinia -
Plovers & Lapwings -
Rails, Gallinules & Coots -
Tits -
Parrots -
Rosefinches and Buntings -
Bustards -
Grebes -
Pheasants & Partridges -
Old World flycatcher -
Starlings and Mynas -
Hornbills -
Buttonquails -
Rollers -
Bluebirds -
Crested Kingfishers -
Cormorants -
Pigeons and Doves -
Jacanas -
Typical Owl -
Finfoots &booby -
Flamingo -
Herons and Bitterns -
Treecreepers -
Nuthatch -
Barbets -
Treeswifts -
Swifts -
Crab-plovers, Coursers and Pratincoles -
Bulbuls -
Frogmouths -
Larks -
Storks -
Broadbills -
Thick-knees -
Painted-snipes -
Nightjars -
Barn-owls -
Large-billed Kingfishers -
Falcons -
Pittas -
Cranes -
Whistling-ducks -
Ducks, Geese & Swans -
Hoopoe
References:
description written by:Hajbun Tasnim Preety,Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka;information source: Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol-26, iucnredlist.org;Photo credit and copyright:MSH Sourav (TU Dresden, Germany);taxonomic checklist:P. M. Thompson and S. U. Chowdhury (2020). A checklist of birds of Bangladesh.Birds Bangladesh;more information, please contact us.
description written by:Hajbun Tasnim Preety,Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka;information source: Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol-26, iucnredlist.org;Photo credit and copyright:MSH Sourav (TU Dresden, Germany);taxonomic checklist:P. M. Thompson and S. U. Chowdhury (2020). A checklist of birds of Bangladesh.Birds Bangladesh;more information, please contact us.