great gray shrike

bird

Also known as: Lanius excubitor, northern shrike

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The great gray shrike (Lanius excubitor) is a large bird, primarily gray above with black-and-white wings and tail. It belongs to the family Laniidae, commonly known as shrikes or butcherbirds. Shrikes are medium-sized predatory birds with hooked bills, capable of killing insects, lizards, mice, and small birds. They often impale their prey on thorns, which is how they earned the nickname "butcherbird". The great gray shrike is the most widespread species of true shrike and is also known as the northern shrike in Canada and the United States.123

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shrike
…most widespread species is the great gray shrike (L. excubitor), called northern shrike in Canada and the United States, a 24-cm (9.5-inch) black-masked bird. The only other New World species is the similar but smaller loggerhead shrike (L. ludovicianus) of North America. Several Eurasian species have reddish or brown markings.
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…most widespread species is the great gray shrike (L. excubitor), called northern shrike in Canada and the United States, a 24-cm (9.5-inch) black-masked bird. The only other New World species is the similar but smaller loggerhead shrike (L. ludovicianus) of North America. Several Eurasian species have reddish or brown markings.
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