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 →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Grey Shrike sighting in South Luangwa National Park, based on 7 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at South Luangwa National Park
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurio
Northern Fiscal
Lanius humeralis
Sousa's Shrike
Lanius souzae
Meves's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis mevesii
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Tropical Boubou
Laniarius major
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu
Uraeginthus angolensis
African Pied Wagtail
Motacilla aguimp
White-browed Robin-Chat
Cossypha heuglini
Black-backed Puffback
Dryoscopus cubla
📅 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 South Luangwa National Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Grey Shrike sighting in South Luangwa National Park, based on 7 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lesser Grey Shrike in South Luangwa National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Grey Shrike in South Luangwa National Park in our monthly data.