The common gray shrike has a reputation as a hermit, since meeting with him is a rarity. To notice this feathered, you need patience and observation. But since the bird avoids being close to humans, it can only be seen at the forest edges, outskirts of swamps, on the tops of shrubs and tall trees. If you hear a song that resembles the voice of a magpie, then perhaps it is a gray shrike.
The Red Book was replenished with this rare bird, since the number of species is very small. She received the 3rd category. To preserve this subspecies, a careful attitude to forest swamps and old forests is required.
Description of the shrike
This species of birds belongs to large birds. Body size is an average of 26 cm. The weight of the bird is about 70 grams. The color of the shrike is light, the back is ash-gray, and the abdomen is white. On the breast there is a drawing. The stepped elongated tail and wings are black. Along the edge of the tail feathers there is a white border. Also, a light transverse strip runs along the wings. The head is also decorated with stripes - a black "mask" stretches from the beak through the eye. Since this bird is a predator, it has been “awarded” with a hooked beak. The female and the male do not differ in color. You can notice the difference in their sizes, the "boys" are slightly larger.
When the gray shrike sits on a branch, its tail sinks down or protrudes. The flight of this bird is undulating.
Habitat
Despite the fact that the number of these birds is small, their habitat is very wide. The shrivel gray in small quantities inhabits all of Europe, a large territory of Russia, North Africa. In addition, the bird settles in parts of South Asia right up to the eastern line of India. Also, this bird, penetrating through Chukotka, stops near the forests of the USA and Canada.
This species of birds prefers to live in an open area. But, despite this, the shrike develops mountainous territories, taiga and tundra. It can be noted that closer to the south this bird is nomadic, and representatives of the northern zones fly to winter.
The voice of the bird
The gray shrike makes sounds that look like magpie songs. His voice is rude. The song is not melodic, it consists of creaky quiet whistling sounds or a humming trill. But in his repertoire there may be sounds eavesdropped by other birds. With age, males accumulate a repertoire, and their songs become more artistic and diverse.
Also with the help of sounds shrips transmit information. For example, in case of danger, they publish a frequent check-check-check. They differ in their singing in the mating season.
Food
The shrike gray is a bold predator, so it feeds on what it catches. Large insects, such as locusts, large beetles, dragonflies and more, can be included in the diet. But the bird also preys on small vertebrates, since there are very few insects in the northern regions. The shrike eagerly catches lizards and small amphibians. In addition, he loves rodents such as field voles, shrews, mice, moles and eats small birds (sparrows, warblers, tits).
After the catch is caught, the shrikes eat it right there. The bird does not make stocks, although if there is an abundance of food, it can dry the victim by hanging acacia on a needle, and leaving the vertebrate in forked branches. But it is worth noting that not all gray shrikes are prone to this behavior.
Bird Nesting
Since the gray shrike is a large bird, its nest is also large. Usually only a female builds such a dwelling. Males participate in this very rarely. To build a nest, a suitable branch is selected. Often this is a thick shoot of a bush or tree. Also, the house can be mounted at the very trunk. The nest is low, from 1 to 2.5 meters. It is two-layer. The outer side is woven from thin branches from shrubs and trees, and dry grasses are also woven here. A characteristic feature of the shrike nest are parts of branches with green leaves.
The inside is made of softer material. So the tray is covered with wool, thin blades of grass and a large number of feathers, although in some nests they may not be.
Young growth
The nesting period in different areas is different. It can be April or May, and in the northern parts of the range it is June. The laying of the shrike consists of 4–6 eggs with a white-green hue and brown spots. Hatching offspring is predominantly female, and dad only occasionally replaces mom.
Shrike gray stays on masonry for up to 15 days. In these two weeks, the male does not fly away from the family. Both parents feed hatched offspring. Male and female take care of young animals for about 20 days. At this point, the chicks are ready to fly. But it is interesting that sometimes even before the kids learn to fly well, they already fly away from the nest. Until departure, parents take care of the offspring. Steam can feed their chicks for a long time.
The diet of young animals includes orthopterans and beetles, and in rare cases they are given caterpillars and larvae.
