Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Red-tailed Shrike

Lanius phoenicuroides (Schalow, 1875)

≈18 cmLength28 gWeight

This shrike has sandy plumage and a red tail.

Busiest months: March–April · Most records: United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Kuwait

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Plumage sandy
  2. Tail red

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March–April · Most records: United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Kuwait

Red-tailed Shrike has been recorded at 266 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 37 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Wamm FarmsUnited Arab Emirates841 records
  2. Abu Dhabi Golf and Equestrian ClubUnited Arab Emirates640 records
  3. Private estate near Green MubazzarahUnited Arab Emirates640 records
More places
  1. Green MubazzarahUnited Arab Emirates418 records
  2. Mushrif Palace GardensUnited Arab Emirates402 records
  3. Al Jahra Reserve (Restricted access)Kuwait378 records
  4. Dubai Pivot FieldsUnited Arab Emirates277 records
  5. Bempton Cliffs RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom207 records
  6. Ayn HamranOman192 records
  7. Nairobi NPKenya187 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Arab EmiratesKenyaKuwaitChinaKazakhstanTanzaniaOmanUnited Kingdom

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The red-tailed shrike or Turkestan shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides) is a member of the shrike family (Laniidae). It was formerly considered conspecific with the isabelline shrike and the red-backed shrike.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Red-tailed Shrike?

The Red-tailed Shrike is about ≈18 cm long and weighs around 28 g.

Where does the Red-tailed Shrike live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: Central Asia to Pakistan. It is most often recorded in United Arab Emirates, Kenya and Kuwait.

When is the best time to see the Red-tailed Shrike?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March and April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Red-tailed Shrike endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-tailed Shrike as Least Concern.

What does the Red-tailed Shrike eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Red-tailed Shrike in?

It belongs to the family Shrikes (Laniidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
≈18 cm
Weight
28 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
91 mm
Tail
77 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
24 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: Central Asia to Pakistan

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Shrikes Laniidae
Genus
Lanius

Other birds in the genus Lanius

Long-tailed FiscalLong-tailed FiscalLanius cabanisiGrey-backed FiscalGrey-backed FiscalLanius excubitoroidesTaita FiscalTaita FiscalLanius dorsalisGreat Grey ShrikeGreat Grey ShrikeLanius excubitorSomali FiscalSomali FiscalLanius somalicusLoggerhead ShrikeLoggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianusGiant Grey ShrikeGiant Grey ShrikeLanius giganteusChinese Grey ShrikeChinese Grey ShrikeLanius sphenocercusIberian Grey ShrikeIberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalisNorthern ShrikeNorthern ShrikeLanius borealisMasked ShrikeMasked ShrikeLanius nubicusSao Tome FiscalSao Tome FiscalLanius newtoni
Red-tailed Shrike

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Jrrobinantony. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages