The Red-backed Shrike bird (Lanius collurio) is a member of the shrike family Laniidae. The general color of the males upper parts is reddish. It has a grey head and a typical shrike black stripe through the eye. Underparts are tinged pink and the tail has a black and white pattern similar to that of a wheatear. In the female and young Red-backed Shrikes, the upperparts are brown and vermiculated (wavy lines or markings ). Underparts are buff and also vermiculated.
This 16 – 18 centimetres long migratory passerine eats large insects, small birds, voles and lizards. Like other shrikes the Red-backed Shrike hunts from prominent perches and impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a ‘larder’.
The Red-backed Shrike breeds in most of Europe and western Asia and winters in tropical Africa.
The Red-backed Shrikes range is decreasing and it is now probably extinct in Great Britain as a breeding bird, although it is frequent on migration.
The Red-backed Shrike is named as a protected bird in Britain under a Biodiversity Action Plan. The Red-backed Shrikes’ decline is due to overuse of pesticides and scrub clearance due to human overpopulation.
The Red-backed Shrike breeds in open cultivated country with hawthorn and dog rose.
What Does the Red-backed Shrike Look Like?
The Red-backed Shrike is a small but striking bird that is easy to identify once you know what to look for. The male is the more colourful of the two sexes. His back and wings are a warm chestnut red, and his head is a clean grey with a bold black mask running across the face through the eyes. This black stripe is a feature shared by most shrike species and gives the bird a fierce, almost bandit-like expression. The underparts are pale with a soft pinkish wash, and the tail is patterned in black and white.
The female looks quite different. She is mostly brown on top with a pattern of wavy, scalloped markings on her underparts. This more subtle colouring helps her stay hidden on the nest during the breeding season. Young birds look similar to the female but are even more heavily marked. The bill of the Red-backed Shrike is short, strong and slightly hooked at the tip, which helps it grip and tear apart prey.
The Shrike’s Larder
One of the most unusual and fascinating things about the Red-backed Shrike is its habit of impaling its prey on sharp thorns or barbed wire fences. This behaviour has earned shrikes the nickname “butcher birds” in some parts of the world. The shrike uses these natural hooks to hold food in place while it tears it apart, in the same way a butcher might hang meat on a hook. It also stores uneaten prey this way, creating a small larder of food that it can return to later.
This behaviour is particularly useful during the breeding season when the male needs to provide a steady supply of food for the female and their chicks. The larder also plays a role in attracting a mate, as a well-stocked collection of prey is thought to signal to the female that the male is a capable and reliable hunter.
Hunting and Diet
The Red-backed Shrike is a patient and skilled hunter. It perches on top of a bush, a fence post or a low branch and scans the ground below for movement. When it spots something, it drops down quickly to catch it. Large insects such as beetles, grasshoppers and bumblebees make up much of the diet, but the shrike is also capable of catching small lizards, mice, voles and even small birds. It is a bold hunter for its size and will take on prey that might seem surprisingly large.
Migration and Wintering
The Red-backed Shrike is a long-distance migrant. Each autumn, it leaves its breeding grounds in Europe and western Asia and makes the long journey south to tropical Africa, where it spends the winter months. It returns to Europe in spring, typically arriving in May. The journey involves crossing the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert, which is an impressive feat for such a small bird.
Why Is the Red-backed Shrike in Trouble?
The Red-backed Shrike has disappeared from much of its former range in Britain, where it was once a common breeding bird. The reasons for this decline are mainly linked to human activity. The widespread use of pesticides has reduced the number of large insects available for the shrike to eat. Scrub clearance, which removes the thorny bushes the shrike depends on for nesting and hunting, has also played a major role. Climate change may also be affecting the availability of food on the breeding grounds.
In Britain, the Red-backed Shrike is now protected by law and is included in the Biodiversity Action Plan, which is a government programme designed to help protect some of the country’s most threatened species. Conservation efforts include protecting and restoring the scrubby, open habitats the shrike prefers, and monitoring the small number of pairs that still attempt to breed in the UK each year.
Sources & References
Cite This Page
APA
Joanne Spencer (2026, April 15). Red-backed Shrike. Animal Corner. Retrieved 2026, October 10, from https://animalcorner.org/animals/red-backed-shrike/
MLA
Joanne Spencer. "Red-backed Shrike." Animal Corner, 2026, April 15, https://animalcorner.org/animals/red-backed-shrike/.
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