Woodchat Shrike
Lanius senator
Also known as: Capsigrany
Habitat
Ground
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
36 g
About This Species
A striking black, white, and chestnut songbird that hunts from an exposed perch in open country with scattered bushes or trees, often across Mediterranean Europe in summer before migrating to sub-Saharan Africa for winter. It watches for large insects and small vertebrates from its perch before dropping onto prey, and is most visible in the early morning and late afternoon. Open scrubland and orchards during the breeding season offer the best chance of a sighting.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a respectful distance of at least 20 to 30 metres from an active perch or nest, since this species is listed as Near Threatened and has declined across parts of its European range from habitat loss.
- Legal protections differ markedly between its European breeding grounds and African wintering range, so treat any encounter with the same caution regardless of country.
- Avoid lingering near a hunting perch for long periods, since repeated disturbance can interrupt feeding during the short breeding season.
NTAvesPasseriformesLaniidae
Seasonal Activity
281,262 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Laniidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 36 g
Photo
(c) naturpel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by naturpel
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.