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EuropeRed-backed shrike
Lanius collurio
The Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) is a bird found in Sweden, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, and 2 more countries. Open land with bushes across Europe and Asia; winters in Africa. It eats insects and other small invertebrates, reptiles and frogs and small mammals and birds. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
See the Red-backed shrike on the 3D globe →| Scientific name | Lanius collurio |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| Found in | Sweden, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, and 2 more countries |
🏡 Where the Red-backed shrike lives
Open land with bushes across Europe and Asia; winters in Africa.
🍽️ What it eats
- 🐛 Insects & bugs60%
- 🦎 Reptiles & frogs20%
- 🐭 Mammals & birds10%
- 🍎 Fruit10%
A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).
Conservation status
Hear the Red-backed shrike
Recorded by Stanislas Wroza (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC800577. Trimmed to a few seconds.
Questions about the Red-backed shrike
Where does the Red-backed shrike live?
The Red-backed shrike lives in Sweden, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, and 2 more countries. Open land with bushes across Europe and Asia; winters in Africa.
What does the Red-backed shrike eat?
insects and other small invertebrates (about 60%), reptiles and frogs (about 20%), small mammals and birds (about 10%), fruit (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.
Is the Red-backed shrike endangered?
There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.
More birds from Europe
Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.