Bay-backed Shrike

The Bay-backed Shrike can be considered as a distant cousin of our Lesser Grey Shrike, the aspect and colors being quite similar. Lanius vittatus measures from 17 to 19 cm, its first distinctive mark is its black mask, shaped like a band, covering the forehead, eye (also black) and auricular zone, a true flying Zorro! The crown and nape are light grey, contrasting with the mantle and shoulder feathers brown-red. The coverts and the flight feathers are black or gray-anthracite with a characteristic white spot on the primaries. Fine white stripes appear on the margins as well as at the level of the first primary. The rump is gray to finish on a fairly long black tail. The chin, throat and belly are white, while the flanks and abdomen are delicately colored cream or light brown, the under tail feathers are white as well as the lower rectrices. The beak and legs are black. There is no sexual dimorphism, the young have a narrower gray band on the head, the crown is light brown, marked with small darker streaks, all the contrasted colors of the adult are more diluted, so the coverts are gray instead of being black and the back and mantle dirty brown instead of the beautiful brown-red of the adult.