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Southern Grey Shrike


Southern Grey Shrike
Photo Information
Copyright: Alan Kolnik (Alan_Kolnik) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 236 W: 38 N: 343] (2616)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2019-06-26
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D610, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM+1.4xTC
Exposure: f/7.6, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2019-08-22 8:00
Viewed: 640
Points: 4
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This harmless looking little bird is a powerful hunter of small creatures like this little gekko or lizard it has caught and impaled on the branch of the tree. This is a known activity of various shrikes e.g. in a reference to a similar shrike:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_grey_shrike

This medium-sized passerine eats large insects, especially beetles, butterflies, moths and grasshoppers. Like other shrikes it hunts from prominent perches and sometimes impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a "larder".

Not quite perfectly shot - I have a better but less dramatic view I might post in addition.

Taken in the Arava region of the Negev.

http://www.tatzpit.com/Site/en/pages/inPage.asp?catID=9&subID=333&subsubID=527

Southern Grey Shrike / חנקן דרומי / Lanius meridionalis

What they eat Insects,small Mammals,Reptiles and Birds
Preferred habitat Open country ,hillsides in Mediterranean and desert climates with scattared trees and bushes
Status Fairly common resident
Recommended place to see Rift Valley from the Hula Valley to Eilat

Click here for a sharper view of this bird eating breakfastL
marius-secan has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To lousat: Unfortunate about the sharpnessAlan_Kolnik 1 08-23 19:32
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Alan,
This little bird is migrating also in Europe. I meet it in the region I live. It hunts also mice.
Despite its appearance it is an excellent hunter.
Marius.

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2019-08-23 15:07]
  • [+]

Hi Alan,it's a pity that the sharpness is very poor,surely it moves the head very fast in this moment. But the scene is amazing,a big prey in its beak for a great dinner. Have a nice weekend and thanks,Luciano

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