Lesser Grey Shrike

Lanius minor

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyLaniidae (Shrikes)
GenusLanius (Typical Shrikes)
SpeciesLanius minor (Lesser Grey Shrike)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Lower Zambezi National Park

6 Verified sightings at Lower Zambezi National Park From 2019 to 2026

2,966 Verified sightings across all 47 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Lesser Grey Shrike

The lesser grey shrike (Lanius minor) is a passerine bird in the shrike family Laniidae. It breeds in South and Central Europe and western Asia and migrates to winter quarters in southern Africa in the early autumn, returning in spring. It is a scarce vagrant to western Europe, including Great Britain, usually as a spring or autumn erratic.

It is similar in appearance to the great grey shrike (Lanius excubitor) and the Iberian grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis); both sexes are predominantly black, white and grey, and males have pink-flushed underparts. It is slightly smaller than the great grey shrike, and has a black forehead and relatively longer wings. This species prefers dry open lowlands and is often seen on telephone wires.

This medium-sized passerine eats large insects, especially beetles, butterflies, moths and grasshoppers. Lesser grey shrikes frequently hover when hunting on their breeding grounds, but do not do so while moulting on non-breeding grounds. Like other shrikes, it hunts from prominent perches and sometimes impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a "larder".

The lesser grey shrike was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Lower Zambezi National Park

Lanius collurio

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Lanius humeralis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Urolestes melanoleucus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Lamprotornis mevesii

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Dicrurus adsimilis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Pycnonotus barbatus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Motacilla aguimp

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Hirundo smithii

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Uraeginthus angolensis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Laniarius major

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Prionops plumatus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Buphagus erythrorhynchus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
2	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
3	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
4	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
5	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
6	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
7	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
8	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~10%
9	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
10	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
11	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
12	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~10%
13	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~10%
14	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	<5%
15	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
16	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
17	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
18	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
19	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%
20	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
21	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
22	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
23	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
24	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
25	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
26	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
27	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
28	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
29	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
30	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
31	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
32	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
33	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
34	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
35	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
36	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	Insufficient data
37	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
38	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
39	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
40	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
41	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	Insufficient data
42	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
43	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
44	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	Insufficient data
45	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	Insufficient data
46	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	Insufficient data
47	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data

← Back to Lower Zambezi National Park

Lesser Grey Shrike

About the Lesser Grey Shrike

Recent sightings of Lesser Grey Shrike in Lower Zambezi National Park

Closest Relatives at Lower Zambezi National Park

Red-backed Shrike

Northern Fiscal

Magpie Shrike

Meves's Glossy-starling

Fork-tailed Drongo

Common Bulbul

African Pied Wagtail

Wire-tailed Swallow

Blue-breasted Cordonbleu

Tropical Boubou

White-crested Helmetshrike

Red-billed Oxpecker

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found