Shrikes

Abstract

Shrikes, the passerine raptors, the savage songbirds, the butcher birds — these are predatory birds evolved from a thrush-like ancestor, presumably in Africa, where all but a few species exist today. Some have spread into Europe and Asia and two have found their way to the New World. One, the Loggerhead Shrike (Lantus ludovicianus), has spread as far as Mexico and occurs in a variety of habitats including the deserts of southwestern North America. Similarly, the wide ranging Red-backed Shrike (L. collurio) and the Rufous-tailed Shrike (L. isabellinus) of the Palaearctic can be found in deserts of Asia. The only shrike that commonly occurs in both hemispheres is the Northern or Great Grey Shrike (L. excubitor) and it occurs in open areas from tundra to desert (Fig. 21)