Large Woodshrike

Large Woodshrike
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Tephrodornis virgatus

Malay Name: Rembah-Rimba Besar

Chinese Name: 钩嘴林鵙

Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to southern China and Southeast Asia (excluding Philippines)

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: pelvicus, jugans, verneyi, annectens, fretensis, virgatus, frenatus, mekongensis, hainanus, latouchei.

Local Subspecies: fretensis

Size: 18.5-22.5 cm

Identification: Male has uniform slaty-grey upperparts with contrasting whitish underparts, strong bill, broad blackish eye line and whitish rump-band. Female resembles male but has browner upperparts and eye line. Juvenile is browner than female and has whitish shafts, tips and bars on upperparts.

Similar looking species: Brown Shrike

Habitat: Broadleaved forest, forest edge, secondary growth and mangroves.

Behaviour/Ecology: Frequents the canopy in small flocks.

Local Status: Former resident and very rare visitor

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured reports: Apr 2022

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Male Large Woodshrike at Janda Baik, Malaysia. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Female Large Woodshrike at Chek Jawa. Photo credit: Adrian Silas Tay
Female Large Woodshrike at Chek Jawa. Photo credit: Adrian Silas Tay
Female Large Woodshrike at Jelutong Tower. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Female Large Woodshrike at Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin. Photo credit: Francis Yap
External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Large Woodshrike)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Tephrodornis virgatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103703834A94145293.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Lim, K. S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore).

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Large Woodshrike. Retrieved on July 16, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/large-woodshrike.

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