The tiger shrike or thick-billed shrike is a small passerine bird which belongs to the genus Lanius in the shrike family, Laniidae. It is found in wooded habitats across eastern Asia. It is a shy, often solitary bird which is less conspicuous than most other shrikes. Like other shrikes it is predatory, feeding on small animals. Its nest is built in a tree and three to six eggs are laid.
Region
East and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds in the Russian Far East, northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, favoring wooded edges, clearings, and secondary forests. In the non-breeding season it moves south into southern China and mainland Southeast Asia to the Malay Peninsula and Greater Sundas. It prefers semi-open habitats with scattered trees, forest margins, parklands, and scrub. It often hunts from low to mid-level perches along trails and clearings.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Other
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the thick-billed shrike, the tiger shrike gets its name from the bold, tiger-like barring on its plumage. It breeds in temperate East Asia and migrates to tropical Southeast Asia for the non-breeding season. Like other shrikes, it is a perch-hunting predator that may impale prey on thorns for later consumption. It is shy and often keeps to forest edges and secondary growth, making it less conspicuous than many shrikes.
Male above and female below, illustration by Joseph Smit
Male in Malaysia
Temperament
shy and often solitary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with direct dashes between perches
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs during the breeding season and territorial around nest sites. Builds a neat cup nest in a tree or tall shrub; clutch size commonly 3–6 eggs. Both parents attend the young and deliver prey items to the nest.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Song is a soft, varied series of thin whistles and trills interspersed with chattering notes. Calls include dry scolding ‘tchack’ sounds and harsher rasping alarms when disturbed.
