Red-backed shrike / Neuntöter (Lanius collurio)
Wikipedia eBird Vogelwarte BirdLife ZH ornitho.ch Xeno-Canto NABUNeutoeter bei La Sauge 2022-06-25 08.43.44
Classification: Genus Lanius; Family Shrikes (Laniidae)
Kulturland. Im Gebüsch an der Stillen Reuss.
Saw this masked bandit at Maienfeld. I was also told where to find it in the hedges at the Stille Reuss in Rottenschwil.
Culture: The BirdLife Switzerland bird of the year of 2020, the red-backed shrike or Neuntöter, made a surprising appearance in the New York Times in May 2021 when a private collection of manuscript and books from the Brontë family was put up for sale. Among the books is father Brontë's copy of Thomas Bewick’s 'A History of British Birds,' which Jane Eyre leafs through in a scene in Charlotte's novel of the same name. [NY Times, 'A Lost Brontë Library Surfaces', by Jennifer Schuessler, May 25, 2021]
Etymology: Er spiesst Beutetiere oft an Dornen oder spitzen Seitenästen auf, um sie zu bearbeiten und zu zerteilen oder als Vorrat zu halten. Seinen Namen soll der Neuntöter dieser Eigenart verdanken: Man hat früher irrtümlicherweise angenommen, dass er immer erst neun Tiere aufspiesst, bevor er wieder eines verzehrt. [Link]
Habitats: Agricultural Looks similar to: Northern wheatear. Song: Reminds me a bit of a Rohrsaenger/Feldlerche with its short, varied bits. BirdID says Song surprisingly varied with many expert imitations of small passerines, interwoven with bell-like ringing and dry chirping sounds. May be confusing and hard to identify if bird not seen. Song not very loud, but phrases can be very long. 'May be confusing' - tell me about it! What's not confusing about trying to tell apart 422 species of Swiss birds!
Song attributes: Melody: sings 30 seconds or longer, slow, Frequency: medium (1-5 KHz) Special sounds: mimicry
♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC570644 - Marsh Warbler - Acrocephalus palustris - song.mp3 (song)
Call: Automatically generated from Xeno-Canto recording
♫ Source: BirdNet 20220604_131617 birdnet - Neuntöter - Uznach.mp3 2022-06-04 13.16.17 Uznach (song?)
First documented observation : 2021-05-29 in Maienfeld.
Media
Patrick Brontë's annotated copy of Thomas Bewick’s 'A History of British Birds' Part of a collection sold at Sotheby's in June 2021 and expected to bring 1-2 million dollars. The page shown in the newspaper features the red-backed shrike, a bird whose habitat loss in less intensive agricultural land has led to shrinking populations. |
Neuntöter. 2022-05-21 11.10.14 Leuk and surroundings |
Additional Images
Neuntoeter. 2023-06-19 09.40.00 Bolle di Magadino |
Neuntoeter hat gerade etwas von seiner Reserve geholt. 2022-06-25 08.43.48 La Sauge |
To identify, neuntoeter weibchen vielleicht. 2022-05-22 11.04.42 Leuk and surroundings |
Neuntöter. 2022-05-22 10.47.38 Leuk and surroundings |
Neuntöter landet, Leukerfeld. 2022-05-21 11.10.14 Leuk and surroundings |
Additional Audio
♫ Source: BirdNet 20220625_084759 birdnet - Neuntöter - Brot-Dessous.mp3 2022-06-25 08.47.59 La Sauge (song?)
♫ XC386987 - Red-backed Shrike - Lanius collurio - song with mimicry. Source: XENOCANTO XC386987 - Red-backed Shrike - Lanius collurio - song with mimicry.mp3 (song)
♫ XC386987 - Red-backed Shrike - Lanius collurio - song. Source: XENOCANTO XC386987 - Red-backed Shrike - Lanius collurio - song.mp3 (song)