Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) [XC162511]
by Patrick Franke from Erdenesant, Mongolia (call, excitement call)
Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) [XC149859]
by Patrick Franke from Khongoryn Sand Dunes, Mongolia (song)
Subspecies
Thought to form a superspecies with Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) and Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus). Has been considered conspecific with one or both.
Proposed subspecies karelini (from southern Kazakhstan) included within phoenicuroides.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
phoenicuroides Ehrenberg, 1833 - Breeds southern and eastern Kazakhstan south to Transcaspia, north-eastern and eastern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan (northern and probably west of R Indus) and extreme north-western China (north-western Xinjiang). Non-breeding mainly Arabia and north-eastern and eastern Africa, with some in western Africa. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides).
isabellinus Ehrenberg, 1833 - Breeds Mongolia (except north-west) and southern and eastern Russian Transbaikalia south to north-western and northern China (south-eastern Altai and north-eastern slopes of Tien Shan, in north-eastern Xinjiang, east to central Nei Mongol). Non-breeding mainly Arabia and north-eastern Africa.
arenarius Blyth, 1846 - Breeds western and north-central China from south-eastern slopes of Tien Shan and Tarim Basin east to north-western Gansu and western Nei Mongol, south to Ningxia. Non-breeding mainly Pakistan and northern India.
tsaidamensis Stegmann, 1930 - Breeds west-central China (Qaidam Basin, in northern Qinghai). Non-breeding mainly Pakistan and northern India.
speculigerus Taczanowski, 1874 - ? Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Daurian Shrike (Lanius speculigerus).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet