Suffolk Shrike, October 2025

The Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides), also known as the Turkestan Shrike, is a striking bird with a reddish-brown tail, pale underparts, and a distinctive black mask across its eyes. It breeds in Central Asia and migrates to the Indian subcontinent for winter. Like other shrikes, it is known for its habit of impaling prey—such as insects and small vertebrates—on thorns or barbed wire.

The Red-tailed Shrike is a rare vagrant in the UK. Fewer than 10 individuals are typically recorded each year, usually during autumn migration (September–October). Most sightings occur along the east coast, where migrating birds may be blown off course.

This adult male bird was reported on the 2nd October at Dunwhich Heath, next to RSPB Minsmere. I visited on the 7th, and the not only was the bird still there, it was showing well and surrounded by quite a number of admiring birders.


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