Brown Shrike
Lanius cristatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyLaniidae (Shrikes)
- GenusLanius (Typical Shrikes)
- SpeciesLanius cristatus (Brown Shrike)
About the Brown Shrike
The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the red-backed shrike (L. collurio) and isabelline shrike (L. isabellinus). 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 cristatus is Latin for "crested", used in a broader sense than in English. The common English name "shrike" is from Old English scríc, "shriek", referring to the shrill call.
Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye and is found mainly in open scrub habitats, where it perches on the tops of thorny bushes in search of prey. Several populations of this widespread species form distinctive subspecies which breed in temperate Asia and migrate to their winter quarters in tropical Asia. They are sometimes found as vagrants in Europe and North America.
In 1747 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the brown shrike in the second volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "The Crested Red, or Russit Butcher... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Sepilok
Long-tailed Shrike
Lanius schach
Tiger Shrike
Lanius tigrinus
Ashy Tailorbird
Orthotomus ruficeps
Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus brunneus
Asian Glossy Starling
Aplonis panayensis
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus paradiseus
Black-and-yellow Broadbill
Eurylaimus ochromalus
Brown-throated Sunbird
Anthreptes malacensis
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus goiavier
Javan Myna
Acridotheres javanicus
Crimson Sunbird
Aethopyga siparaja
Lesser Green Leafbird
Chloropsis cyanopogon
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Brown Shrike in Sepilok?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Shrike sighting in Sepilok, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brown Shrike in Sepilok?
October has the highest sighting rate for Brown Shrike in Sepilok in our monthly data.