Red-backed Shrike

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Red-backed Shrike in Ruaha National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-backed Shrike sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Red-backed Shrike in Ruaha National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Red-backed Shrike in Ruaha National Park in our monthly data.

Lanius collurio

Silhouette: Zeynel Cebeci · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyLaniidae (Shrikes)
GenusLanius (Typical Shrikes)
SpeciesLanius collurio (Red-backed Shrike)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Ruaha National Park

17 Verified sightings at Ruaha National Park From 2019 to 2026

12,680 Verified sightings across all 71 parks From 2019 to 2026

January Best month highest sighting rate

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

About the Red-backed Shrike

The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family, Laniidae. Its breeding range stretches from Western Europe east to central Russia. It is migratory and winters in the eastern areas of tropical Africa and southern Africa.

The red-backed shrike was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under its current binomial name Lanius collurio. The genus name, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits. The specific collurio is from Ancient Greek kollurion, a bird mentioned by Aristotle. The common English name "shrike" is from Middle English *schrike, *schryke, from Old English sċrīc, "shriek", from the same root as shriek and screech, referring to the bird's shrill cry or call.

This 16–18 cm-long (6.3–7.1 in) migratory bird eats large insects, small birds, frogs, rodents and lizards. Like other shrikes it hunts from prominent perches, and impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a "larder." This practice has earned it the nickname of "butcher... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Ruaha National Park

Lanius minor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Lanius isabellinus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Eurocephalus ruppelli

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Urolestes melanoleucus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Lamprotornis unicolor

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Dicrurus adsimilis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Laniarius funebris

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Uraeginthus bengalus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Pytilia melba

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Pycnonotus barbatus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Camaroptera brachyura

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Tchagra australis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · 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	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~50%
2	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~40%
3	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~30%
4	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~30%
5	Ecrins National Park	🇫🇷 France	~20%
6	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
7	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~20%
8	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	~20%
9	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
10	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
11	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~20%
12	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
13	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	~20%
14	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
15	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
16	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
17	Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
18	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
19	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	~10%
20	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	~10%
21	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~10%
22	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
23	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~10%
24	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~10%
25	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
26	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
27	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
28	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
29	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
30	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
31	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
32	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	~10%
33	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
34	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
35	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
36	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
37	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	~10%
38	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
39	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
40	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
41	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~10%
42	Vanoise National Park	🇫🇷 France	~10%
43	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
44	Hohe Tauern National Park	🇦🇹 Austria	<5%
45	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%
46	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
47	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
48	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
49	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
50	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
51	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
52	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
53	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
54	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
55	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
56	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
57	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
58	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
59	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	<5%
60	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	<5%
61	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
62	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
63	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	<5%
64	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
65	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
66	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
67	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
68	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
69	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
70	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
71	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Red-backed Shrike in Ruaha National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-backed Shrike sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Red-backed Shrike in Ruaha National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Red-backed Shrike in Ruaha National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Ruaha National Park

Red-backed Shrike

About the Red-backed Shrike

Recent sightings of Red-backed Shrike in Ruaha National Park

Closest Relatives at Ruaha National Park

Lesser Grey Shrike

Isabelline Shrike

Northern White-crowned Shrike

Magpie Shrike

Ashy Starling

Fork-tailed Drongo

Slate-colored Boubou

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Green-winged Pytilia

Common Bulbul

Green-backed Camaroptera

Brown-crowned Tchagra

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers