Other Names (World)
Chinese Grey Shrike, Chinese Gray Shrike, Chinese Great Grey Shrike, Chinese Great Gray Shrike, Long-tailed Grey Shrike, Long-tailed Gray Shrike, Wedge-tailed Shrike, Large Chinese Shrike
Chinese Grey Shrike (Lanius sphenocercus) [XC267592]
by id from Khasan, Khasanskiy rayon, Primorskiy kray, Russian Federation (alarm call)
Chinese Grey Shrike (Lanius) [XC267587]
by Albert Lastukhin from Khasan, Khasanskiy rayon, Primorskiy kray, Russian Federation (call)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) and Iberian Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis). Nominate subspecies and giganteus sometimes thought possibly to represent two separate species on basis of differences in size, plumage and habitat, and alleged overlap in breeding ranges without interbreeding. However, evidence of sympatric breeding lacking and further research is required.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
sphenocercus Cabanis, 1873 - Breeds eastern Mongolia east to SE
Russia (Amur region and southern Ussuriland), north-eastern and north-central China (Nei Mongol,
north-eastern Liaoning, probably also Heilongjiang and Jilin, south to Gansu,
Shaanxi and Shanxi), northern and central Korean Peninsula. Non-breeding mainly
eastern and south-eastern China and Korea.
giganteus Przewalski, 1887 - Central China (central and eastern Qinghai,
eastern Xizang, northern and western Sichuan). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Giant Grey Shrike (Lanius giganteus).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet