GREY SHRIKES 137 



as a summer-visitor; in England it is only a winter-visitor, but over the rest 

 of Europe is resident throughout the year with its numbers increased by the 

 winter migration from its breeding-grounds in Sweden and northern Russia, 

 where it meets the Siberian bird, which may rather be considered as a variety 

 than a distinct species. Although widely distributed, this shrike is by no 

 means a common bird on the Continent, except in some districts, and especially 

 the valley of the Rhine at Trier. In September, October, and November, when 

 wandering in search of food, it leaves the wilder parts for the vicinity of the 

 villages to return to the former in February when the pairing-season begins. 

 The nest is in most cases conspicuously placed on low trees, especially oaks and 

 fruit-trees, seldom firs, although not unfrequently on the top of a thorn-bush, the 

 eggs being laid towards the end of April or the beginning of May. The great 

 grey shrike is no coward, and will fight even with large birds-of-prey, greeting 

 them with loud screams, and thereby giving a danger-signal to all the birds in 

 the neighbourhood. For this reason the bird is often called the sentinel on the 

 Continent, although there is really no more dangerous enemy to smaller birds than 

 this shrike, which watches for them from the highest trees and bushes, and will 

 attack even thrushes, quails, and partridges, although by no means always with 

 success. Shrikes will also feed on the nestlings of other birds, grasshoppers, and 

 other insects, both large and small, as well as blindworms, lizards, and field-mice. 

 Before eating its prey a shrike sticks it on some long thorn, either for the 

 purpose of tearing off the flesh at leisure without much trouble, or, in case of 

 abundance, to let it decay. The flight is remarkable, the bird dropping down- 

 wards at first, then continuing horizontally, and rising again in a curve. Some- 

 times it hovers like a hawk, and may occasionally be seen shaking its prey in the 

 air. Its song is a series of screeches, mingled with the calls of many other birds. 

 Lesser The lesser grey shrike (L. minor) also resorts to small leafy 



Grey shrike. WO ods near fields and meadows, or to large plantations amid stretches 

 of grass. Rare in Denmark and Scandinavia, it is only an accidental straggler 

 to Britain, but is fairly numerous in the east of Belgium, the soutii of Holland and 

 north Germany, nesting principally in the eastern countries of Europe, and being 

 scarce in southern Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Baden, and Switzerland. It is also 

 rare in the north of France, as well as in Spain, although more common in the 

 south of France. In Sardinia it breeds, but it seldom appears in the Italian 

 peninsula. Perhaps southern Russia may be regarded as the centre of its dis- 

 tributional area ; it is unknown in eastern Siberia and China. As a bird-of- 

 passage it wanders through Africa as far south as Damaraland and the Transvaal. 

 The eggs are not laid before the latter part of May. The lesser grey shrike is 

 a handsome bird, and by no means shy, perching conspicuously on the tops of 

 bushes and trees. Its food consists mainly of beetles, but includes mole-crickets, 

 grasshoppers, and other insects: these it detects from some elevated spot, to 

 which it carries them back before eating them ; and it often hovers a long time 

 over its prey. Although it does not attack small birds, it will occasionally fight 

 with rooks and magpies. Its song consists partly of the calls and melodies of 

 other birds, partly of screeches and twitters. Like some of the other shrikes, this 

 bird makes much use of aromatic plants in the construction of its nest ; a nest 



