Red-backed Shrike
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Scrubby heathland (ex-breeder).
Diet: Insects, small vertebrates.
Best time to spot: "Butcher bird"; mega-rare now.
When to look
Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Great Grey ShrikeRare · Open heath
- Woodchat ShrikeRare · Open scrub (vagrant)
- Brown Shrike · Coastal scrub (very rare)
- Daurian Shrike · Coastal scrub (rare vagrant)
- Lesser Grey Shrike · Open country (very rare)
- Long-tailed Shrike · Open ground (extreme vagrant)
Kit that helps
Best binoculars for UK birding. Affiliate links, tested picks, no extra cost to you.
See Red-backed Shrike sightings on the map