View source for Masked shrike

{{Short description|Migratory bird in the family Laniidae }}
{{Featured article}}
{{Speciesbox
 | name                = Masked shrike
 | image               = Lanius nubicus (unmirrored).jpg
 | image_caption       = Male
 | range_map           = Lanius nubicus distr.png
 | range_map_caption   = <br />{{legend0|#FF8000|Summer|border=solid 1px black}} {{legend0|#0000FF|Winter|border=solid 1px black}}
 | status              = LC
 | status_system       = IUCN3.1
 | status_ref          = <ref>{{cite iucn | author = BirdLife International | author-link = BirdLife International | title = ''Lanius nubicus'' | article-number = e.T22705099A155574857 | year = 2019 | amends = 2016 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22705099A155574857.en | access-date = 21 February 2022 }}</ref>
 | genus               = Lanius
 | species             = nubicus
 | authority           = [[Martin Lichtenstein|Lichtenstein, MHC]], 1823
}}

The ''' masked shrike''' ('''''Lanius nubicus''''') is a [[species]] of bird in the [[shrike]] family, Laniidae. It breeds in southeastern [[Europe]] and at the eastern end of the [[Mediterranean]], with a separate population in eastern [[Iraq]] and western [[Iran]]. It is [[bird migration|migratory]], wintering mainly in northeast [[Africa]]. Although it is a short-range migrant, vagrants have occurred widely elsewhere, including northern and western Europe. It is the smallest member of its [[genus]], long-tailed and with a hooked bill. The male has mainly black upperparts, with white on its crown, forehead and [[supercilium]] and large white patches on the shoulders and [[Flight feather#Primaries|wings]]. The throat, neck sides and underparts are white, with orange flanks and breast. The female is a duller version of the male, with brownish black upperparts and a grey or buff tone to the shoulders and underparts. The juvenile has grey-brown upperparts with a paler forehead and barring from the head to rump, barred off-white underparts and brown wings аpart from the white primary patches. The species' calls are short and grating, but the song has melodic [[Old World warbler|warbler-like]] components.

The masked shrike's preferred habitat is open woodland with bushes and some large trees. It is less conspicuous than its relatives, avoiding very open country and often perching in less exposed locations. The nest is a neat cup built in a tree by both adults, and the [[clutch (eggs)|clutch]] is normally 4–6 eggs, which are incubated by the female for 14–16 days until hatching. The chicks are fed by both parents until they [[fledge]] 18–20&nbsp;days later, and remain dependent on the adults for about 3–4 weeks after leaving the nest. The masked shrike eats mainly large insects, occasionally small vertebrates; it sometimes impales its prey on thorns or barbed wire. Populations are decreasing in parts of the European range, but not rapidly enough to raise serious conservation concerns, and the species is therefore classified by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] as being of [[least concern]].

==Taxonomy==
The shrikes are a family of slender, long-tailed [[passerine]]s, most of its members being in the genus ''[[Lanius]]'', the typical shrikes. They are short-necked birds with rounded wings and a hooked tip to the bill. Most occur in open habitats.<ref name = hbwonlinefam>{{cite web| editor = Hoyo, Josep del| editor2 = Elliott, Andrew| editor3 = Sargatal, Jordi| editor4 = Christie, David A| editor5 = de Juana, Eduardo|year=2013| title = Shrikes (Laniidae)| work = Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive | url=http://www.hbw.com/family/shrikes-laniidae | publisher= Lynx Edicions | location =Barcelona|access-date = 6 October 2014}} {{subscription required}}</ref> The affiliations of the masked shrike with other members of the genus are uncertain; the "brown" shrikes ([[brown shrike|brown]], [[red-backed shrike|red-backed]] and [[isabelline shrike]]s) and tropical species like the [[Somali fiscal]] have both been suggested as possible relatives. The masked shrike has no subspecies.<ref name=hbwonline>{{cite web| editor =Hoyo, Josep del| editor2 =Elliott, Andrew| editor3 =Sargatal, Jordi| editor4 =Christie, David A| editor5 =de Juana, Eduardo|year=2013| title= Masked Shrike (''Lanius nubicus'') | work= Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive | url=http://www.hbw.com/species/masked-shrike-lanius-nubicus | location =Barcelona | publisher= Lynx Edicions | access-date = 11 October 2014}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

The masked shrike was described by German explorer and naturalist [[Martin Lichtenstein]] in 1823 under its current scientific name.<ref name= licht>Lichtenstein (1823) p. 47.</ref> ''Lanius'' is the Latin for a butcher, and comes from the shrikes' habit of impaling prey, reminiscent of a butcher hanging carcasses,<ref name="job219"/> and ''nubicus'' means "Nubian" (from northeast Africa).<ref name= job279>Jobling (2010) p. 279.</ref><ref name=OED>{{Cite OED |Nubian}}</ref> The bird was independently described by Dutch [[zoology|zoologist]] [[Coenraad Jacob Temminck|Coenraad Temminck]] in 1824 as ''Lanius personatus'', from the Latin ''personatus'' "masked",<ref name="job219">Jobling (2010) p. 219.</ref> referring, as does the English name, to the bird's appearance, but the older name takes precedence. A later synonym from 1844 was ''L. leucometopon'' from the Greek ''leukos'', "white", and ''metopon'', "forehead", describing a feature of the distinctive head pattern.<ref name=job224>Jobling (2010) p. 224.</ref> "Shrike", first recorded in 1545, derives from the shrill cries given by this family,<ref name=OED2>{{Cite OED |Shrike}}</ref> and the traditional common name "butcher-bird" again refers to the characteristic prey storage,<ref name= job279/> and has been in use since at least 1668.<ref name=OED3>{{Cite OED |Butcher-bird}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:maskedshrikeinhand.JPG|thumb|Female in Israel]]
The masked shrike is the smallest of its genus, a slender bird which usually weighs {{convert|20|–|23|g|oz|abbr=on}}, measuring {{convert|17|–|18.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} long with a {{convert|24|–|26.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} wingspan. It has a long tail and relatively small bill,<ref name=hbwonline/><ref name=BWP>Snow & Perrins (1998) pp. 1447–1448.</ref> on each side of which is a [[tomium|tomial tooth]]; the upper mandible bears a triangular ridge which fits a corresponding notch in the lower mandible. This adaptation is otherwise only found in [[falcon]]s.<ref name= shrike23>Lefranc & Worfolk (1997) p. 23.</ref>

The male has mainly black upperparts, a white crown, forehead and [[supercilium]]. There are large white patches on the shoulders and [[Flight feather#Primaries|primaries]], and the outermost tail feathers are also white. The throat, neck sides and underparts are white, with orange on the flanks and breast. The [[Iris (anatomy)|iris]] is brown, the bill is black and the legs are dark brown or black.<ref name=hbwonline/><ref name="BWP"/> The female is a duller version of the male, with brownish-black upperparts and a grey or buff tinge to the white shoulder patches and underparts. The juvenile has grey-brown upperparts with darker bars from the head to rump, a paler grey forehead, barred off-white underparts and brown wings with white primary patches.<ref name=harris/>

Masked shrikes are most similar in appearance to [[woodchat shrike]]s, but are smaller, more slender and longer-tailed. Adults of the two species are easily distinguished, since the masked shrike has white on its head and a dark rump, whereas the woodchat shrike has a black crown, rusty nape and white rump. Juveniles are more similar, but the masked shrike has a longer tail, paler face, and grey back and rump, whereas the woodchat shrike has a sandy back and pale grey rump.<ref name=harris/><ref name= bb1995>{{cite journal |last1= Clement |first1= Peter |title= Identification pitfalls and assessment problems: 17. Woodchat Shrike ''Lanius senator'' |journal= British Birds |volume= 88 |pages= 291–295 |url= http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V88/V88_N06/V88_N06_P291_295_A078.pdf |issue= 6 |access-date= 2014-10-20 |archive-date= 2016-03-08 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160308065358/https://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V88/V88_N06/V88_N06_P291_295_A078.pdf }}</ref>

Juveniles [[moult]] their head, body and some wing feathers a few weeks after fledging, and adults have a complete moult after breeding. In both cases, if the process is not complete by the time of migration it is suspended and completed on the wintering grounds.<ref name=harris/>

===Voice===
The masked shrike gives the harsh calls typical of this family, with repeated ''tsr'', ''tzr'' or ''shek'' notes and some whistles, and when alarmed produces a rattling ''krrrr''. The bill may be snapped when the bird is agitated. The song, up to a minute long, is soft for a shrike, with chattering sounds interspersed with rich warbles.<ref name=harris/> It resembles the songs of ''[[Hippolais]]'' species, particularly the [[olive-tree warbler]]. On rare occasions, males may sing in flight.<ref name= Nikolov>{{cite journal |last1= Nikolov |first1= Boris |year=2012 |title= Courtship-display in Masked Shrike (''Lanius nubicus'', Lichtenstein 1823) – undescribed behaviour of a bird species from the Western Palearctic | journal= Acta Zoologica Bulgarica | volume= 64| pages=397–402 | url =http://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/downloads/acta-zoologica-bulgarica/2012/64-4-397-402.pdf|issue=4}}</ref>

In the film ''[[the Great Escape (film)|the Great Escape]]'', the POWs were taught how to mimic the masked shrike's call.

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Lanius nubicus juvenile2.jpg|thumb|Juvenile]]
The masked shrike breeds in the [[Balkans]] and [[Western Asia]]: southern [[Bulgaria]], eastern [[North Macedonia|Republic of North Macedonia]], northeast [[Greece]] and some of the Greek islands, [[Turkey]], [[Cyprus]] and from [[Syria]] south to [[Israel]]. It also nests in eastern [[Iraq]] and western [[Iran]]. The range in the east is uncertain, and may include [[Afghanistan]] and northern [[Saudi Arabia]]. It is [[bird migration|migratory]], wintering south of the [[Sahara]], mainly in [[Chad]], [[Sudan]] and [[Ethiopia]]. Smaller numbers are found west to eastern [[Mali]] and [[Nigeria]], and in northern [[Kenya]] and southern [[Saudi Arabia]]. Most birds leave the breeding areas in late August and September, and return north in February and March.<ref name=harris/>

This species is seen in [[Egypt]], [[Jordan]] and Israel much more often in spring than autumn, suggesting that the southern movement may be concentrated further east. Birds will hold small territories on about {{convert|0.5|ha|acre|abbr=off}} on migration, and, unlike other shrikes, may congregate in significant numbers.<ref name=harris/> More than 100 have been seen in one locality in Israel, with five in a single bush. This shrike has occurred as a vagrant in [[Algeria]], [[Finland]], Kenya, [[Libya]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]],<ref name=harris/> [[Mauritania]] and [[Turkmenistan]].<ref name=hbwonline/> At least three individuals have been documented in [[Great Britain]],<ref name= bb98>{{cite journal|last1= Glass|first1= Tom|last2= Lauder|first2= Alan W|last3= Oksien|first3= Mark|last4= Shaw|first4= Ken D|year= 2005|title= Masked Shrike:new to Britain|journal= British Birds|volume= 99|pages= 67–70|url= http://britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V99/V99_N02/V99_N02_P067_070_A003.pdf|issue= 2|access-date= 2014-10-20|archive-date= 2014-10-20|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141020074442/http://britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V99/V99_N02/V99_N02_P067_070_A003.pdf}}</ref><ref name=stodd>{{cite journal|last1=Stoddart|first1=Andy|last2=Joyner|first2 =Steve|title=Masked Shrike, St Mary's – November 1, 2006. First for Scilly and England|journal=Isles of Scilly Bird and Natural History Review 2006 | date=2007|pages=114–115}}</ref><ref name = york>{{cite news | last = Teale | first = Bill | title = Birdwatch: Masked Shrike | newspaper = Yorkshire Post | location = Leeds| date =28 September 2014 | url =http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/rural/farming/birdwatch-masked-shrike-1-6865743}}</ref> and two individuals in [[Armenia]].<ref>{{Citation | title=First record of Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus in Armenia|author1=Martin Adamian  |author2=Francis X. Moffatt |name-list-style=amp | journal=Sandgrouse| year=2009| volume=31| pages=42–43}}</ref>

The masked shrike's preferred habitat is open woodland with bushes and some large trees. Unlike its relatives, it avoids very open, lightly vegetated country. Orchards and other cultivated land with suitable old trees or large hedges are also used by this species. It is normally found in more wooded areas than [[Sympatry|sympatric]] shrikes. It occurs in lowlands and in hills up to {{convert|1,000|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}}. In some areas breeding occurs at greater altitudes, up to {{convert|2,000|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}}. It may occur in gardens and resorts on migration, and in winter again prefers open country with thorny bushes and large trees like [[acacia]] or introduced [[eucalyptus]].<ref name=hbwonline/>

==Behaviour==
The masked shrike is a solitary species except when on migration. It maintains a breeding territory of {{convert|2|–|5|ha|acres|0|abbr=on}} and is also territorial on the wintering grounds, defending an area of about {{convert|3|ha|acres|0|abbr=on}}. Although unafraid of humans, it is aggressive to its own species and other birds which infringe on its territory. Most other shrikes use high, exposed branches throughout the year, but the masked shrike only uses conspicuous locations at the start of the breeding season, otherwise choosing lower, more sheltered spots.<ref name=harris/> It perches upright, frequently cocking its tail, and has an easy, agile flight.<ref name=BWP/> A masked shrike has been recorded as feigning injury when trapped, only to return to normal when the threat receded.<ref name= bb44>{{cite journal |last1= Simmons |first1= Keith E L |last2= Brownlow |first2= H G |last3= Godeck |first3= J W |year= 1951 |title= Trapped Masked Shrike "feigning disablement" |journal= British Birds |volume= 44 |page= 20 |url= http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V44/V44_N01/V44_N01_P014_037_N005.pdf |issue= 1 |access-date= 2014-10-19 |archive-date= 2016-03-08 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160308061150/https://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V44/V44_N01/V44_N01_P014_037_N005.pdf }}</ref>

===Breeding===
[[File:Lanius nubicus MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.213.Djezzin Liban.jpg|thumb|Eggs]] 
Male masked shrikes sing from perches in their territories from early April, sometimes chasing or competing vocally with neighbouring males.<ref name=harris/> The male's courtship display, usually accompanied by singing, starts with the bird perching erect and shivering its wings on an exposed perch, and is followed by the shrike stepping down its branch and bowing, either on the move or while temporarily halted. The male may also give a fluttering, zigzagging flight display. The female is sometimes fed by her mate while she crouches with spread wings and gives begging calls. Elements of the display are shared with other shrikes, but stepping-down and bowing on the move appear to be confined to this species.<ref name= Nikolov/>

The nest, built by both sexes, is a small, neat cup of rootlets, stems and twigs, lined with wool or hair, and adorned with [[lichen]] externally.<ref name=hbwonline/> It is constructed in a tree {{convert|1.5| –|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the ground and averages {{convert|170|mm|in|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|65|mm|in|abbr=on}} deep, with the cup {{convert|75|mm|in|abbr=on}} across and a {{convert|35|mm|in|abbr=on}} in depth.<ref name=harris/> Eggs are laid from April to June, mainly in May in the lowlands and about a month later in the mountains. Replacement [[Clutch (eggs)|clutches]] are laid in June or July if the nest fails, and second broods appear to be common in at least some areas.<ref name=hbwonline/> The first nest is destroyed by the pair to provide material for a replacement breeding attempt. The eggs average {{convert|20|x|16|mm|in|abbr=on}} in size and are variable in colour, with a background of grey, cream or yellow, diffuse grey blotches, and a ring of brown markings.<ref name=harris/> The normal clutch is 4–6 eggs, which are incubated by the female for 14–16 days until hatching. The [[altricial]] downy chicks are fed by both parents until they [[fledge]] 18–20&nbsp;days later. They are dependent on the adults for about 3–4 weeks after leaving the nest.<ref name=hbwonline/> The masked shrike breeds in its first year, but its average life span is unknown.<ref name=harris/>

Vertebrate predators of young birds include cats and crows.<ref name=harris/> This species may also be infected by parasites, such as a [[tick]], ''[[Hyalomma marginatum]]'',<ref name= hoog>{{cite journal |last1= Hoogstraal |first1= Harry |last2= Kaiser |first2= Makram N |last3= Traylor |first3= Melvin A |last4= Gaber |first4= Sobhy |last5= Guindy |first5= Ezzat |year=1961 |title= Ticks (Ixodoidea) on birds migrating from Africa to Europe and Asia | journal= Bulletin of the World Health Organization | volume=24 | pages=197–212 |issue=2 | pmc=2555510 | pmid=13715709}}</ref> and at least two species of ''[[Haemoproteus]]'' blood parasites.<ref name=MoAl >{{cite journal |last1= Mohammad |first1= Mohammad K |last2= Al-Moussawi |first2= Azhar A |year=2012 |title= Blood parasites of some passeriform birds in Baghdad area, central Iraq | journal= Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum | volume= 12| pages=29–36 | url =http://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=60720 |issue=1}}</ref>

===Feeding===
Like its relatives, the masked shrike hunts from a perch, typically {{convert|3|–|8|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} high, although usually in less exposed locations than those favoured by most other shrikes. Prey is usually taken from the ground, but occasionally picked off foliage or caught in the air with an agile [[Old World flycatcher|flycatcher-like]] flight. The kill may be impaled on thorns or barbed wire as a "larder" for immediate or later consumption.<ref name=BWP/><ref name=harris/> Because passerines have relatively weak legs, impalement holds the corpse while it is dismembered. It was once thought that this behaviour was shown mainly by male shrikes in the breeding season, but this is not the case. Masked shrikes of both sexes are known to impale in winter and on migration.<ref name= bb1969>{{cite journal |last1= Beven |first1= Geoffrey |last2= England |first2= M D |year= 1969 |title= The impaling of prey by shrikes |journal= British Birds |volume= 62 |pages= 192–199 |url= http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V62/V62_N05/V62_N05_P192_199_A041.pdf |issue= 5 |access-date= 2014-10-19 |archive-date= 2016-03-10 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160310133616/https://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V62/V62_N05/V62_N05_P192_199_A041.pdf }}</ref> Individual birds may be very tame, following a gardener or feeding close to an observer.<ref name=harris>Harris & Franklin (2000) pp. 178–180.</ref>

The masked shrike feeds mainly on large insects, although other [[arthropod]]s and small vertebrates are also caught. Shrikes fatten up before migration, but to a lesser extent than other passerines because they can feed on the way, sometimes taking other tired migrants.<ref name= shrike20>Lefranc & Worfolk (1997) p. 20.</ref> Despite its relatively small size, the masked shrike has been recorded as killing species such as [[lesser whitethroat]] and [[little swift]].<ref name=hbwonline/> Vertebrates are killed by bill blows to the back of the head, and the tomial teeth are then used to separate the neck bones.<ref name="shrike23"/>

==Status==
[[File:Masked Shrike fem.ogg|thumb|250px|Female ([[Riyadh]], Saudi Arabia 1992)]]
The [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN) estimates the European population of the masked shrike to be between 105,000–300,000 individuals, suggesting a global total of 142,000–600,000 birds. Although the population appears to be declining, the decrease is not rapid enough to trigger the IUCN vulnerability criteria. The large numbers and extensive breeding range of about {{convert|353,000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},<ref name=BirdLife>{{cite web|title = BirdLife International Species factsheet: Masked Shrike ''Lanius nubicus ''|publisher =BirdLife International |access-date = 24 April 2014 |url =http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/22705099/additional}}</ref> mean that this shrike is classified by the IUCN as being of [[least concern]].<ref name="IUCN">{{ZooOrg|iucn|main|access-date=20 May 2010}}</ref>

Numbers have declined in recent decades in Europe, although Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus still have several thousand breeding pairs. Turkey is a stronghold with up to 90,000 pairs. The species is declining in Greece and Turkey because of habitat loss, and a large decrease in Israel is thought to be due to [[pesticide]]s. In Somalia, this bird is now rare. Migrating birds are shot in the countries around the eastern Mediterranean, despite legal protection in most countries, and there is some persecution of breeding birds in Greece and Syria, where this species is considered to be unlucky. There are indications that this shrike is adapting to plantations instead of natural woodlands, which could help populations in the longer term.<ref name=hbwonline/>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Cited texts==
*{{cite book | last = Harris | first = Tony |author2=Franklin, Kim | year = 2000 | title = Shrikes and Bush-shrikes | publisher = Princeton University Press | isbn = 0-691-07036-9}}
* {{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher = Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 }}
*{{cite book |last1= Lefranc |first1= Norbert |last2= Worfolk |first2= Tim |year=1997 |title= Shrikes: A Guide to the Shrikes of the World | publisher= Yale University Press | location= New Haven, Connecticut|isbn= 978-0-300-07336-2}}
*{{cite book |last1= Lichtenstein |first1=Martin |year= 1823|title= Verzeichniss der Doubletten des Zoologischen Museums der Königl. Universität zu Berlin | publisher=Zoologisches Museum in Berlin | language=de | location= Berlin| url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/89675#page/67/mode/1up }}
* {{cite book | last = Lockwood| first =William Burley | author-link=William Burley Lockwood | title = Oxford Book of British Bird Names | year = 1984 | publisher = Oxford University Press | location= Oxford | isbn = 0-19-214155-4 }}
* {{cite book | editor1-last= Snow | editor1-first= David | editor1-link=David Snow (ornithologist) | editor2-last= Perrins | editor2-first= Christopher M | editor2-link=Chris Perrins | title = The Birds of the Western Palearctic concise edition (2 volumes) | publisher = Oxford University Press |year = 1998| location =Oxford | isbn = 978-0-19-854099-1}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikispecies|Lanius nubicus}}

===Vocalisations===
*[http://www.xeno-canto.org/28397 Alarm call at Xeno-canto]
*[http://www.xeno-canto.org/101671 Song at Xeno-canto]

===Further information===
*{{field guide birds of the world|Lanius nubicus}}
*{{avibase|E90CC64A3A32FE26|Lanius nubicus}}

{{Laniidae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q731085}}

[[Category:Lanius|masked shrike]]
[[Category:Birds of Southern Europe]]
[[Category:Birds of West Asia]]
[[Category:Wintering birds of Africa]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1823|masked shrike]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]