Tiger Shrike

Tiger Shrike

Scientific Name: Lanius tigrinus

Malay Name: Tirjup Harimau

Chinese Name: 虎纹伯劳

Range: Found from Eastern Russia, China, Japan to Korea, wintering to mainland Southeast Asia and Indonesia.

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 17-18.5 cm

Identification: Adult males (rare in Singapore) have white underparts, thick eyestripe, scaly chestnut lower back that contrasts strongly with slate-grey upper mantle, nape, and crown. Females like males but have scaly underparts and overall duller plumage. Immatures and juveniles are very scaly overall. Birds of all ages show a “clean”, unscaled and rufous tail.

Similar looking species: Brown Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike

Habitat: Well-wooded areas, secondary growth and forest edge.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds on insects, lizards, small birds and rodents.

Local Status: Common migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Location: Any patch of suitable wooded area.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus
Estimated average number of individuals by week based on eBird data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024
Peak week Oct 08-Oct 14
Early date 01 Aug 2022
Late date 17 May 2019
Peak fall migration, from Sep to Oct, mostly consists of first-winter birds. Some individuals are present throughout the winter, and many birds observed in spring are in adult plumage.

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Lanius tigrinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22704995A93994458.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

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

Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula (Vol. 1). Academic Press, London.

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