Brown Shrike

Overview

Brown Shrike: Small shrike, with warm brown upperparts and buff underparts. Face is white with black mask; throat is white. Bill is short, heavy, and hooked. Tail is long and round-tipped with faint bars. Eats small snakes, rodents, birds and insect. Low, swift flight on shallow, rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Brown Shrike: Asian species casually occurring in Alaska from the western Aleutians, St. Lawrence Island, and Anchorage; fall and winter records from California. Preferred habitats include lowlands, farmlands, downlands, and orchards with thickets and scrub.

INTERESTING FACTS

In 1977 & 1979 the Dutch ornithologist K. H. Voous published studies that argued for them to be regarded as separate species, which they have been ever since.
The Brown, Red-backed, and Isabelline shrikes were once regarded as part of a large super-species.
With its narrow habitat requirements, they appear to have suffered significantly from habitat loss, while others such as the Bull-headed Shrike has not been adversely affected.
A group of shrikes are collectively known as an "abattoir" and a "watch" of shrikes.

The Brown Shrike has a large range, estimated globally at 10,000,000 square kilometers. It is native to Asia and the United states, though it has been seen in Denmark and the United Kingdom. It can live in forests, shrublands, grasslands, deserts, or in urban areas. The bird has an estimated global population that is undetermined but the bird is deemed common in many native areas, leading researchers to believe that there is not a significant population decline that would necessitate placement on the IUCN Red List. Because of this, the Brown Shrike has an evaluation status of Least Concern.