Wildlifeof Mongolia
Great Grey Shrike
Laniidae
Photo: Tisha Mukherjee · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Lanius excubitor
Basic stats
Diet
Carnivorous; rodents make up over half the diet
Range
Breeds generally north of 50°N in northern Europe and Asia; most populations migrate south in winter
Size
22–26cm
Weight
60–70g typically
The great grey shrike is a large, predatory songbird, about as large as a big thrush, 22–26 centimetres long and typically 60–70 grams, though weights from 48 to 81 grams are recorded in the nominate subspecies. Males and females look alike: pearly grey above with a black eye-mask and white underparts. In the nominate subspecies the wing is around 11.4 centimetres and the tail about 10.9, the bill about 23 millimetres from tip to skull. (Wikipedia, general species account)
It forms a superspecies with its southern relatives, the Iberian grey shrike, the Chinese grey shrike and the American loggerhead shrike. Breeding takes place generally north of 50°N in northern Europe and Asia, and most populations migrate south in winter to temperate regions. The great grey shrike is carnivorous, with rodents making up over half its diet. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Great Grey Shrike eat?
- Carnivorous; rodents make up over half the diet
- Where is the Great Grey Shrike found?
- Breeds generally north of 50°N in northern Europe and Asia; most populations migrate south in winter
- How big is the Great Grey Shrike?
- 22–26cm
- How much does the Great Grey Shrike weigh?
- 60–70g typically