For the first time in 30 years, a bird of prey in a black “mask” was seen in winter in “Shushensky Bor”

In the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, for the first time in 30 years of observations, a gray shrike (Lanius excubitor) was spotted in winter.

The press service of the national park “Shushensky Bor» they said that the bird easily recognized by the spectacular black “mask” passing through the eyes and the strong hook-shaped beak, which reveals it as a merciless hunter. The bird is listed in the Red Book of the Krasnoyarsk Territory as a poorly studied species with an uncertain status.

IN “Mountain cluster» Shrike National Park usually appears in spring and autumn, during migration, although in “Perovsky cluster» this bird occasionally nests and remains for the winter. Therefore, the January meeting in “Mountain cluster» – an unprecedented case.

“Perhaps the reason for the unusual delay was warm temperatures for early January and low snow cover. These factors simplified the bird's access to one of the main food items – small rodents, which are almost impossible to get in deep snow, which allowed the rare bird not to make long flights to more southern regions», — noted in the press service.

The gray shrike is known for its unique hunting strategy, which has earned it the nickname “butcher.” It does not have powerful claws to hold large prey, so it impales caught mice, birds, lizards or insects on sharp thorns of bushes or pinches them in the forks of branches. This allows him to easily deal with the victim and even create strategic reserves in case of famine.

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