Lesser Grey Shrike
Lanius minor
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyLaniidae (Shrikes)
- GenusLanius (Typical Shrikes)
- SpeciesLanius minor (Lesser Grey Shrike)
The lesser grey shrike (Lanius minor) is a passerine bird in the shrike family Laniidae. It breeds in South and Central Europe and western Asia and migrates to winter quarters in southern Africa in the early autumn, returning in spring. It is a scarce vagrant to western Europe, including Great Britain, usually as a spring or autumn erratic. It is similar in appearance to the great grey shrike (Lanius excubitor) and the Iberian grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis); both sexes are predominantly black, white and grey, and males have pink-flushed underparts. It is slightly smaller than the great grey shrike, and has a black forehead and relatively longer wings. This species prefers dry open lowlands and is often seen on telephone wires. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Grey Shrike sighting in Hortobágy National Park, based on 82 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Hortobágy National Park
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurio
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitor
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Rook
Corvus frugilegus
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
Eurasian Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornix
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Great Tit
Parus major
Bearded Reedling
Panurus biarmicus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Grey Shrike in Hortobágy National Park?
About 16% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Grey Shrike sighting in Hortobágy National Park, based on 82 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lesser Grey Shrike in Hortobágy National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Grey Shrike in Hortobágy National Park in our monthly data.