Woodchat Shrike, Roodkopklauwier, Rotkopfwurger, Picanço-barreteiro, Alcaudon comun
Spotted on our property Monte Horizonte in the Alentejo Region of Portugal. Woodchat Shrike sound
The Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) is a member of the shrike family Laniidae.
The Woodchat breeds in southern Europe, the Middle East and northwest Africa, and winters in tropical Africa. It breeds in open cultivated country, preferably with orchard trees and some bare or sandy ground.
More photos at the bottom of this page.
This migratory medium-sized passerine eats large insects, small birds and frogs. Like other shrikes it hunts from prominent perches, and impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a “larder”.
The male is a striking bird with black and white plumage and a chestnut crown. The race L. s. badius of the western Mediterranean lacks the large white wing patches.
In the female and young birds the upperparts are brown and vermiculated. Underparts are buff and also vermiculated.
This species often overshoots its breeding range on spring migration, and is a rare, but annual, visitor to Great Britain. The Balearic race badius has occurred in Britain around four times as a vagrant, and has also been recorded once in Ireland.
Other synonyms:
Asturian: Alcaudón, Esfoyador
Catalan: Capsigrany
Catalan (Balears): Capsigrany
Czech: Tuhýk rudohlavý
Welsh: Cigydd bach, Cigydd pengoch
Danish: Rødhovedet tornskade
German: Rotkopfwürger
English: Woodchat, Woodchat Shrike
Spanish: Alcaudon Comun, Alcaudón Común, Alcaudón real
Estonian: Punapea-õgija
Basque: Antzandobi kaskagorria, Capsigrany
Finnish: Punapäälepinkäinen
Faroese: Skúlvtyrningur
French: Pie-grièche à tête rousse, Pie-grièche rousse
Irish: Scréachán Coille
Galician: Capsigrany , Picanzo cabecirrubio
Croatian: Ridoglavi Svracak
Hungarian: Vörösfeju gébics, Vörösfejû gébics
Icelandic: Trjásvarri
Italian: Averla capirossa, Averla capirossa baia
Japanese: zuakamozu
Latin: Lanius senator
Dutch: Roodkop klauwier, Roodkopklauwier
Norwegian: Rødhodevarsler
Polish: dzierzba rudoglowa
Portuguese: picanço barreteiro, Picanço-barreteiro
Romansh: Pitgaspina dal chau cotschen
Russian: Krasnogolovy Sorokoput
Slovak: strakoš cervenohlavý
Slovenian: rjavoglavi srakoper
Albanian: Larashi kokëkuq
Serbian: crvenoglavi svarcak
Swedish: Rödhuvad törnskata
Swahili: Mbwigu Kisogo-zambarau
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