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In winter about a thousand shrikes may remain in Estonia including those arriving from the north. With its ash grey back plumage and white underparts the great shrike is not particularly eye-catching – for birds of prey it is of course a useful property. The tail with white side feathers seems long, this can be seen in the video too. The plumage on the shrike’s crown is the same colour as the back, a black robber’s mask on the eyes. The tip of the tiny predator’s beak is hooked and it often hunts in open landscapes, often using hovering flight. Preys in winter are small rodents or passerines and the prey is carried away in the claws.

 

We can see great shrikes keeping watch on posts at field verges or of course in tree tops. The thrush-sized shrike has a length of a quarter of a metre but weighs only up to 80 grams, On approaching a shrike watching  for prey it flies with its characteristic up-and-down billowing flight to the nearest power line or fence post, keeping a suitable safe distance to the observer. The white wing patches are well visible in flight.

 

How the shrike sets about to eat its prey is a special sight. The prey is pressed in between branches of a tree or shrub or even on to some sharp-pointed sprig – for the little robber it is comfortable table manners.

 

The shrike didn’t visit the eagle nest for nothing, in camera view great tits are often seen, and calls of other passerines can be heard.

 

 

Great grey shrike

 

The beak of the little ”hawk” is black as are the legs. 

Great grey shrike observations LINK