ShrikesA&C Black, 30 wrz 2010 - 160 Shrikes are a charismatic group of birds occurring throughout most of the Old World and North America. The family Laniidae consists of 31 species in three genera, if the Southern Grey Shrike and Great Grey Shrike are accepted as separate species which the author recommends. This book is the first to cover all the shrikes in one volume. Shrikes because of their habit of impaling their prey on the thorns of bushes, were known in the countryside as 'butcher-birds' and, indeed, their Latin name lanius means butcher. They are small to medium-sized birds. The smallest, Emin's Shrike which occurs in central Africa, is about the size of a House Finch or Greenfinch, and the largest is the Chinese Grey Shrike. One of their most striking features is their raptor-like hooked bill. Another typical feature is their face mask which gives them the look of small, fierce highwaymen. Many species are of conservation concern including the Great Grey Shrike, The Lesser Grey Shrike, The Woodchat Shrike and the Red-backed Shrike in Europe and the Loggerhead Shrike in North America. The decline of these species has been largely caused by changing farming methods, but all are now legally protected. This brilliant book brings together the most recent information on the shrike family and the superb text and illustrations should lead to successful and safe identification of all species in the field. |
Spis treści
INTRODUCTION | 7 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 9 |
TAXONOMY AND RELATIONSHIPS | 11 |
OVERVIEW OF THE GENUS LANIUS | 17 |
OVERVIEW OF THE GENUS CORVINELLA | 39 |
OVERVIEW OF THE GENUS EUROCEPHALUS | 40 |
STYLE AND LAYOUT OF THE BOOK | 41 |
USEFUL ADDRESSES | 45 |
COLOUR SECTION | 47 |
SYSTEMATIC SECTION | 81 |
179 | |
191 | |
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Adult female Adult male Africa appear areas average bill breeding range breeding season Brown Shrike Bull-headed Shrike bushes central chestnut clutches Common Fiscal conspicuous coverts cristatus DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS duller ear-coverts east eastern eggs Europe excubitor Facial mask feathers fledging forehead forest France fringed GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION Grey-backed Fiscal ground habitats IDENTIFICATION Length impaled insects Isabelline Shrike islands Juvenile Kenya Lanius shrikes Lefranc Lesser Grey Shrike Loggerhead Shrike Long-tailed Shrike lores mainly mantle Masked Shrike migrant moult nest north-east northern occasionally occurs outer pairs pale buff Palearctic paler pallidirostris particularly Peninsula perches phoenicuroides plumage populations prey race rare recorded rectrices Red-backed Shrike rufous rump and uppertail-coverts scapulars Shrike Lanius small vertebrates south-east south-west Southern Grey Shrike species subspecies supercilium tail territories tertials Text and map Tiger Shrike trees typical Underparts off-white Undertail upperparts variable vermiculated western white primary patch white supercilium whitish winter quarters Woodchat Shrike