Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)
About the Isabelline Shrike
The isabelline shrike or Daurian shrike (Lanius isabellinus) is a member of the shrike family (Laniidae). It was previously considered conspecific with the red-backed shrike and red-tailed shrike. It is found in an extensive area between the Caspian Sea and north and central China southeast to the Qaidam Basin. Overwinters in Africa and Arabia. The genus name, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits. The common name is from the specific isabellinus, Neo-Latin for "greyish-yellow" probably named for Isabella I of Castile, said to have promised not to change her undergarments until Spain was freed from the Moors. The common English name "shrike" is from Old English scríc, "shriek", referring to the shrill call.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 53 recordings for this species: 3 CC BY-NC-ND · 1 CC BY-NC-SA. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in China, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Related species you can hear
- Brown ShrikeLanius cristatusrecording
- Bull-headed ShrikeLanius bucephalusrecording
- Great Grey ShrikeLanius excubitorrecording
- Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianusrecording
- Long-tailed FiscalLanius cabanisirecording
- Northern FiscalLanius humeralisrecording
This species has no recording here yet — these relatives do, so you can hear what the family sounds like.