AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

368. Lanius erythronotus

368. RUFOUS-BACKED SHRIKE.
LANIUS ERYTHRONOTUS.
Lanius erythronotus (Vigors), P.Z.S. 1831, p. 42 ; (Gould) Cent. Himal. B. pl. 12, fig. 2 ; Bogd. Sorokop. Russk. Faun. p. 79 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 263 ; Oates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 464 ; L. caniceps, Blyth, J.A.S. Beng. xv. p. 302 (1836) ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 265.
Indiski Sorokoput, Russ. ; Mattiya latora, Kajala latora, Hind. ; Yerra belinchi, Tel.
Male ad. (India). Crown, nape, and upper back pale grey ; rest of upper parts ferruginous ; wings blackish, externally margined with pale rufous ; larger wing-coverts similarly tipped ; external tail-feathers brown, the rest black, all with rufous tips ; forehead and a broad band through the eye to the ear-coverts black ; chin, throat, and upper breast white, rest of under parts rufous becoming whitish on the middle of the abdomen ; bill and legs blackish ; iris brown. Culmen 0.75, wing 3.7, tail 4.7, tarsus 0.05 inch. The young bird is duller, has the ear-coverts brownish, the forehead and lores fulvous, the cheeks and throat white, the rest of the under parts pale fulvous irregularly barred with brown.
Hab. Transcaspia, Afghanistan, Turkestan, and the whole of India from Kashmir to Cape Comorin, and Sind to Bengal ; also Ceylon.
In habits it does not differ from its allies, is a bold and fearless bird, and spends most of the day on a favourite perch on the look-out for its prey. Its usual note is loud and harsh, and in the spring it utters the merest semblance of a song. It frequents jungly localities, hedgerows and bushes in cultivated places near jungle. It nests in Turkestan and throughout India from March to September. Its nest is placed on a bush or low tree, and is neatly constructed of plant-stems, fine twigs and roots, wool, old rags, and hair, and lined with fine grass. The eggs, from 4 to 5 in number, are creamy white or reddish white with grey shell-markings and reddish surface- spots which are generally collected round the larger end, in size averaging about 0.92 by 0.71. They most nearly resemble eggs of L. collurio, but are not so boldly marked.

BookTitle: 
A Manual Of Palaearctic Birds
Reference: 
Dresser, Henry Eeles. A Manual of Palaearctic Birds. Vol. 1. 1902.
Title in Book: 
368. Lanius erythronotus
Book Author: 
H. E. Dresser
CatNo: 
368
Year: 
1902
Page No: 
245
Common name: 
Rufous Backed Shrike
M_ID: 
19069
M_SN: 
Lanius schach erythronotus
Volume: 
Vol. 1
Term name: 
id: 
10741

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