Long-tailed Shrike

The long-tailed or rufous-backed shrike is a typical shrike with a long, narrow, graduated black tail edged pale rufous, a broad black mask through the eye that covers the forehead, rufous rump and flanks, and a small white patch at the base of the primaries. Plumage varies among its nine subspecies: some have the whole head black, and the grey of the back ranges from pure grey to rufous-tinged. The sexes look alike. The smaller bay-backed shrike is more contrasting with a larger white wing patch (Wikipedia, general species account).

It favours dry, open scrub and perches prominently on bushes or wires. It ranges across Asia from Kazakhstan to New Guinea; temperate populations mostly migrate south in winter, while tropical ones are largely sedentary, making short movements. It forms a superspecies with the grey-backed shrike of the Tibetan plateau. Its genus name means butcher, and its species name imitates its call. SoIB 2023 lists it as resident in India with movements within the country and a very large range, finds its current trend stable, and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).