General
Brown Shrike: Small shrike with warm brown upperparts and buff underparts. Face is white with black mask; throat is white. Bill is short, heavy, and hooked. Tail is long and round-tipped with faint bars. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has lightly scaled upperparts and barred underparts.
Range and Habitat
Brown Shrike: Asian species casually occurring in Alaska from the western Aleutians, St. Lawrence Island, and Anchorage; fall and winter records from California. Preferred habitats include lowlands, farmlands, downlands, and orchards with thickets and scrub.
Breeding and Nesting
Brown Shrike: Four to seven brown spotted, pink or white eggs are laid in a nest made of sticks lined with feathers, hair, and fine materials. Incubation ranges from 12 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.
Foraging and Feeding
Brown Shrike: Diet includes insects, reptiles, and small mammals. Forages by perching on a bush, fence post, or power line; prey is often taken to a larder and impaled on a thorn or wedged in a fork.
Vocalization
Brown Shrike: Call is a harsh "chack" and song is a scratchy warble.
Similar Species
Brown Shrike: Other North American shrikes are gray and white.