THE THICK-BILLED SHRIKE 
Lanius tigrinus (Drap,) 
Discrtption : — Although we describe the adult plumage 
of this bird by far the large majority of the individuals of this 
species seen in Sing-apore are in immature plumage and this 
differs rather considerably from that of the adult. 
The old bird has the top of the head and a portion of the 
back grey, the rest of the upper parts very rich brown ^ almost 
chestnut, barred with black and the underparts white. The 
space between the eye and the bill together with a large patch 
behind the eye is black. 
The young bird has all the upper parts rich brown barred 
with black and the underparts white, likewise irregularly barred 
with blackish. This is the plumage in which the species is 
usually met with in Singapore although a fair number of the 
birds seen indicate the approach of the mature plumage in that 
they have lost the barring on the head. 
The irides are brown, the beak and feet slaty. 
Length about 6^ inches, wing just over 3 inches. 
Habits : — The thick-billed shrike breeds in Northern China 
and Japan wintering in South China, the Malay Peninsula^ etc. 
In Singapore it is usually seen in the autumn and winter months 
and a favourite perch is one of the posts supporting the netting 
round a tennis court. 
In addition to the thick-billed shrike, other closely allied 
shrikes appear occasionally as migrants in Singapore : these 
include the Philippine shrike (Lamus cristaius luamtensis), fhe 
brown shrike (L. c. cmtatus) and the chestnut-crowned shrike 
(L, c. superciliosus) all of which are sub-species of the same 
bird, breeding in difiFerent areas to the north of Singapore but 
mixing together when they reach their winter quarters. 
They are all about the same in size and very similar in 
appearance. 
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