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Southern Grey Shrike
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[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 Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes. |
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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.
- lousat
(65489) - [2019-08-23 15:07]
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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