Great Grey Shrike
Great Grey ShrikeGreat Grey ShrikeGreat Grey ShrikeGreat Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Cairngorms National Park
14 Verified records at Cairngorms National Park
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The great grey shrike (Lanius excubitor) is a large and predatory songbird species in the shrike family (Laniidae). It forms a superspecies with its parapatric southern relatives, the Iberian grey shrike (L. meridionalis), the Chinese grey shrike (L. sphenocerus) and the American loggerhead shrike (L. ludovicianus). Males and females are similar in plumage, pearly grey above with a black eye-mask and white underparts. Breeding takes place generally north of 50° northern latitude in northern Europe and Asia. Most populations migrate south in winter to temperate regions. The great grey shrike is carnivorous, with rodents making up over half its diet. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Great Grey Shrike sighting in Cairngorms National Park, based on 14 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Cairngorms National Park

Chaffinch
LC

Chaffinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fringilla coelebs

80–90% · Very likely
European Robin
LC

European Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Erithacus rubecula

70–80% · Likely
Coal Tit
LC Endemic

Coal Tit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Periparus ater

60–70% · Likely
Blue Tit
LC

Blue Tit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanistes caeruleus

60–70% · Likely
Great Tit
LC Endemic

Great Tit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Parus major

60–70% · Likely
Eurasian Siskin
LC

Eurasian Siskin

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Spinus spinus

50–60% · Likely
Eurasian Wren
LC Endemic

Eurasian Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Troglodytes troglodytes

50–60% · Likely
Eurasian Blackbird
LC Endemic

Eurasian Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus merula

50–60% · Likely
Willow Warbler
LC

Willow Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phylloscopus trochilus

40–50% · Likely
Carrion Crow
LC

Carrion Crow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus corone

40–50% · Likely
Goldcrest
LC Endemic

Goldcrest

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Regulus regulus

40–50% · Likely
Meadow Pipit
LC

Meadow Pipit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anthus pratensis

30–40% · Possible

📅 Monthly Probability

5–10
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
30–40%
2 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
10–20%
3 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
10–20%
4 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
5–10%
5 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
5–10%
6 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
5–10%
7 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
8 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
<5%
9 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
10 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
<5%
11 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
12 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
13 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
14 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
Insufficient data
15 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
16 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Insufficient data
17 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
18 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Insufficient data
19 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Great Grey Shrike in Cairngorms National Park?

About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Great Grey Shrike sighting in Cairngorms National Park, based on 14 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Great Grey Shrike in Cairngorms National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Great Grey Shrike in Cairngorms National Park in our monthly data.

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