• Source: Steppe grey shrike

The steppe grey shrike (Lanius excubitor pallidirostris) is a subspecies of songbird in the shrike family (Laniidae) native to Central Asia and parts of northern China, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Formerly considered either a species in its own right or a subspecies of the southern grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis) complex, it is now classified as a subspecies of the great grey shrike.




Taxonomy


The steppe grey shrike was described by the American ornithologist John Cassin in 1851 under the binomial name Lanius pallidirostris. The generic Lanius is Latin for a "butcher" and the specific pallidirostris combines the Latin pallidus for "pale" and -rostris for "billed".
It differs from the nominate subspecies of great grey shrike in being slightly longer-winged and shorter-tailed, and with more extensive white on the primaries. The pale bill from which it was described, only applies to juvenile and first-winter birds; adults have a black bill and lores similar to nominate L. e. excubitor.




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Steppe grey shrike
• Great grey shrike
• Northern shrike
• Southern grey shrike
• Shrike
• List of birds of Korea
• Woodchat shrike
• Margalla Hills National Park
• List of birds by common name
• List of birds of Qatar