White-tailed Shrike

This curious bird, which some consider to have close affinities with the batises and others the bushshrikes, was discovered in 1837 by James Edward Alexander in the Naukluft Mountains of Namibia. Waterhouse subsequently described it in 1838, the name Lanioturdus reflecting the uncertainty of its classification, and torquatus denoting 'collared'. The sexes have a similar appearance.

The White-tailed Shrike is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The White-tailed Shrike (Lanioturdus torquatus) is a small passerine bird from the family Platysteiridae. It is also commonly known as a Chatshrike. It occurs only in western Angola and Namibia in thorn scrub. It forages from ground level, where it hops about in large bounds and upright posture, to 25m above ground, scanning for insects. The very short tail, with a small black mark at the tip of the central two feathers, is always carried down, never sticking up. More

The White-tailed Shrike-tyrant (Agriornis albicauda) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, arable land, and pastureland. It is threatened by habitat loss. References - * BirdLife International 2006. Agriornis andicola. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. More

Distribution of White-tailed shrike in southern Africa, based on statistical smoothing of the records from first SA Bird Atlas Project (© Animal Demography unit, University of Cape Town; smoothing by Birgit Erni and Francesca Little). Colours range from dark blue (most common) through to yellow (least common). More

For the purposes of our bird news services, White-tailed Shrike is classed as Ungraded: species which are unlikely to appear as wild birds in Britain or Ireland hide section Most recent photos of White-tailed Shrike (1) Spitzkoppe, Namibia Spitzkoppe, Namibia27/04/2007 Spitzkoppe, Namibia 27/04/2007 View all pictures of White-tailed Shrike View all pictures of White-tailed Shrike show section External Links (0) We currently have no external links for this species. More

White-tailed Shrike-tyrant Agriornis albicauda 2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Vulnerable Justification This species qualifies as Vulnerable because it is assumed to have a small population, which is fragmented and likely to be declining. More

The charismatic and striking White-tailed Shrike is common at the Erongo Wilderness Lodge. Early morning birding usually generates the equally beautiful Rockrunner (Damara Rockjumper) and Hartlaub’s Francolin. This francolin is really weird-looking and is a genuine skulker. The only time it is usually an easy bird to find is at dawn when it calls loudly from atop boulders. While looking for this francolin, we also hope to find the rock-loving Freckled Nightjar. More

The White-tailed Shrike (Lanioturdus torquatus) occurs only in western Angola and Namibia and inhabits thorn scrub brush. The species spends a great deal of its time foraging on the ground where it hops from bush to bush scanning the leaves for any insect prey. When sighting a meal it darts up to grab the bug from a leaf, then continues its search. More

White-tailed shrike It is a near endemic to Namibia, found from a little south of Windhoek northwards into south west Angola. Throughout this region it is a common resident in areas of scrubby savanna and thornbush. It is usually found in pairs or small groups of around 12 birds. They forage in trees, gleaning insects from branches and foliage, and also in bushes and on the ground. They are active and restless, continuously on the move. More