Appearance:

In all plumages told from Great Grey Shrike L. excubitor by very long primary projection, stout bill, large rectangular wing patch and extended white at base of tail. Tertials without white edge. Adult birds with black forehead (more extended in male and often speckled grey in female), and a pink wash to underparts (especially male). Immatures lack the black forehead and wing coverts have pale fringes.

Sound:

Contact call a series of Magpie-like "che-che-che". Two very different types of territorial song: Most diagnostic is the short song which consists of a single, parakeet-like "irtscha". Like in a sneeze, with rapidly rising and falling pitch. Given monosyllabic, disyllabic or in series. Other song type very varied with lots of mimicry of other birds and mammals. Similar to Woodchat Shrike but usually also includes the call from the short song. The varied song is more subdued in mated males.

Short song:

Varied song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Olive green upperparts, yellowish chest with gradual transition to off-white belly. Very similar to Chiff-chaff, and most field characters are subtle and often hard to see. Distinguished by (usually) pale, yellow-brown legs, dark framing to ear-coverts, stronger supercilium. Long primary projection (often 3/4ths the length of tertials) with irregularly spaced tips (visible when wing folded). Wings slightly more pointed than in Chiff-chaff, and not so fan-shaped. Juveniles often with whole underparts yellow. Frequently flicks tail, but not sideways (unlike Chiff-chaff). Generally also more calm when moving among the foliage.

Sound:

By far most easily identified by it's call or song. Contact/alarm call a soft, plaintive ascending "hoo-eet". Similar to Chiff-chaff, but first part more drawn, giving it a disyllabic feel. Song: A 3-5 second, falling phrase of soft, rippling "svi-svi" sounds, starting high with some attack, and then falling in a mellow manner. The phrase lacks any conclusion, and diminishes both in strength and tempo.

Song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC