Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Lanius excubitor, L. borealis and L. meridionalis (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) were previously lumped as L. excubitor following AOU (1998 and supplements), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) and Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Not Recognised | |
| 2008 | Not Recognised | |
| 2004 | Not Recognised | |
| 2000 | Not Recognised | |
| 1994 | Not Recognised | |
| 1988 | Not Recognised |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | low |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | 60 g |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 55,500,000 km2 | |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 52,700,000 km2 | |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 640000-1250000 mature individuals | - | estimated | 2018 |
| Population trend | decreasing | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 2.9 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 128,000-250,000 mature individuals, with 64,400-125,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 20% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 640,000-1,250,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. Data suggest that the species is decreasing in Asia (Yosef and International Shrike Working Group 2016). In Europe, the species' population is considered to have undergone a small decline over three generations (10 years) (BirdLife International 2021). Based on these data, and the proportion of the species' global range that this region holds, the global population size is considered to be decreasing slowly over three generations.
Trend justification: .
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Albania | extant | native | ||||
| Algeria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Andorra | extant | native | ||||
| Armenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bahrain | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bangladesh | extant | native | ||||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | ||||
| Brunei | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Burkina Faso | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cameroon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Chad | extant | native | yes | |||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cyprus | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Djibouti | extant | native | yes | |||
| Egypt | extant | native | yes | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Eritrea | extant | native | yes | |||
| Estonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Finland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| France | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gambia | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Georgia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ghana | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | native | ||||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | |||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iceland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| India | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ireland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Israel | extant | native | yes | |||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kuwait | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Latvia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | |||
| Libya | extant | native | yes | |||
| Liechtenstein | extant | native | ||||
| Lithuania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Luxembourg | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mali | extant | native | yes | |||
| Malta | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Moldova | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mongolia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Montenegro | extant | native | ||||
| Morocco | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nepal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | |||
| Niger | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nigeria | extant | native | yes | |||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | native | yes | |||
| Oman | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Pakistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Palestine | extant | native | ||||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Portugal | extant | native | ||||
| Qatar | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Senegal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Serbia | extant | native | ||||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Somalia | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Spain | extant | native | ||||
| Sudan | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Sweden | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Tajikistan | extant | native | ||||
| Tunisia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | |||
| Uzbekistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Western Sahara | extant | native | yes | |||
| Yemen | extant | native | yes | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|---|
| Austria | Allentsteig military training area |
| Finland | Lemmenjoki-Hammastunturi-Pulju |
| Germany | Diepholzer Moorniederung and Siedener Moor |
| Germany | Kellerwald |
| Germany | Knüll |
| Germany | Medebacher Bucht |
| Germany | Rhön Biosphere Reserve |
| Luxembourg | Region of Junglinster |
| Luxembourg | Region of Mompach, Manternach, Bech and Osweiler |
| Luxembourg | Valley of the Attert |
| Russia (European) | Bryansko-Zhizdrinskoye woodland |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert | Hot | suitable | breeding |
| Desert | Hot | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Boreal | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Boreal | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Temperate | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | non-breeding |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | suitable | breeding | |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | suitable | non-breeding | |
| Savanna | Dry | major | breeding |
| Savanna | Dry | major | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation | suitable | breeding |
| Shrubland | Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Shrubland | Temperate | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Freshwater Springs and Oases | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Freshwater Springs and Oases | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 2800 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/great-grey-shrike-lanius-excubitor on 24/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 24/11/2024.