Shrikes of the southern Kyushu
Date 8,9 Jan 2005
Location : Miyazaki Prefecture Southern Kyushu Japan

Last Update
new image was added 16 Feb 2005

Shrike 1-1 Miyazaki individual 9 Jan 2005
Shrike 1-2 Miyazaki individual 9 Jan 2005
Shrike 2 Miyakonozyo individual #1 , 8 Jan 2005
Shrike 3 Miyakonozyo individual #2 , 8 Jan 2005

Neighbor Shrike of Shrike 1

Recent Records of Isabelline Shrike in Southern Japan

There have been a number of recent records of wintering Isabelline Shrike
Lanius isabellinus in Kyushu, southern Japan. 3 birds have been recorded in
winter 2004/ spring 2005 in Miyazaki prefecture. Photos of the three
individuals appear below, with plumage descriptions. One of the individuals
is particularly interesting as it may be a hybrid Isabelline x Brown Shrike.

Shrike 1: 1st year female, Tonda rice fields, Koyu-gun,Shintomi-cho, Miyazaki prefecture Japan.
 First recorded: end Dec 2004 by Tatsuya Iwakiri
 Last seen: Feb 1st 2005/02/08

Shrike 2: 1st year (possibly a male), Oyodo river fields, Miyakonjo city, Miyazaki prefecture, Japan
 First recorded: end Nov 2004 (observer's name not known)
 Last seen: end Jan 2005/02/08

Shrike 3: adult male, Oyodo river banks, Miyakonojo city, Miyazaki prefecture, Japan
 First recorded: end Nov 2004 by Naotaka Suzuki
 Still present at time of writing (6th Feb 2005)
 Note that this bird was found approximately 60m from Shrike 2`s territory.

Brown Shrike and Isabelline Shrike notes

Tim Worfolk`s identification paper on the collurio/ isabellinus/ cristatus complex (Dutch Birding, 2000)
includes photographs, illustrations and a review of recent taxonomical study, treating the three species
as allied phylogenetic species comprised of distinct population groups. IsabellineShrike is divided into
three subspecies: phoenicuroides (Central Asia, wintering Arabia, E Africa), isabellinus (E Asia,
wintering to E Indiansubcontinent, NW Africa) and arenarius (S Central Asia, wintering E Iran to W Indian subcontinent).
Former subspecies speculigerus is regarded assynonymous with isabellinus, and tsaimadensis of the
Tarim basin is lumped with arenarius .

Brown Shrike is treated as three subspecies: cristatus (E Asia, wintering SAsia), superciliosus
(mainly Japan, wintering S Asia) and lucionensis (SChina, wintering SE Asia),
with a fourth “confusus” (Ussuria, wintering SEAsia) possibly representing an intergrade
or hybrid form of superciliosus and lucionensis.

Aside from differences in plumage, separation of Isabelline Shrike and BrownShrike can be summarized
as follows:
Isabelline: Comparatively small headed, long winged and short tailed. PPprojection shows 5 (6) tips.
Brown: Large headed, shorter winged, longer tailed. PP projection shows 4(5) tips.


The phoenicuroides/ isabellinus problem
In Worfolk, adult isabellinus are separated from adult phoenicuroides byshowing a yellowy-buff tone
to underparts. However, such coloration was less evident in adult male Isabelline Shrikes recorded in Japan, leading to many recording these individuals as phoenicuroides.

In Kazakhstan, where phoenicuroides and isabellinus are regarded as separate species (Gavrilov, 1999),
breeding birds and migrants are recorded as phoenicuroides, while isabellinus is regarded
as a rare migrant most often encountered in the southeast. I was based in N Kazakhstan in spring 2000,
where I found an Isabelline Shrike nest with six young in late May (see Bragin, 2000).
The nest was 1m from the ground in a bush in a garden on the outskirts of Dokuchaevka village,
some 200km S of Kustanay in the forest/ steppe zone. The male appeared similar to
Shrike 3, but was more rust-coloured on the crown; a phoenicuroides-like individual.
The female was similar in colouration and pattern to Shrike 1 and so looked most similar to isabellinus.
Other Isabelline Shrike pairs observed in the Naurzum area that spring, as well as migrant Isabelline
Shrikes seen at Chokpak Pass in S Kazakhstan in September also showed a mix of characteristics.

Current field guides in the west acknowledge phoenicuroides and isabellinus
as separate subspecies. The Birds Korea website contains articles
that highlight complications in the subspecification of Isabelline Shrike.
The site quotes Svensson (from a Roadrunner article, 2003), who studied the
skin collection at the Zoological Institute in Almaty, and found that “ 75%
of females and juveniles are indistinguishable, (and) many males show a
frustrating mix of characters.” Worfolk mentions that measurements of the
two subspecies are “identical”. In addition the mysterious wintering
population of ssp. isabellinus in NW Africa is question marked by Worfolk.
Similarly, records of vagrant isabellinus in Europe, or of vagrant
phoenicuroides in Japan or Korea should also be questionable. Is it not more
plausible to refer to the two subspecies as synonymous, under the nominate
subspecies isabellinus?

ssp. arenarius
With its shorter migration in central Asia, this is the subspecies least
likely to occur as a vagrant in Europe and also the Eastern Palearctic.
Please refer to the following shot of a first year Isabelline Shrike
recorded in Okinawa, Japan   . Could this be ssp. arenarius?


Hybridization
Hybridization in the collurio/ isabellinus/ cristatus complex is
well-recorded, particularly in the Altai region of Kazakhstan. For years,
Russian ornithologists have regarded the three as one species (see Flint`s
Birds of the USSR). If Shrike 2 is a hybrid isabellinus x lucionensis
individual, it is worth considering its most likely origin. The closest
point were isabellinus and lucionensis ranges seems to meet appears to be
some 600km SW of Beijing, in Henan Province. Hybrid pairings would be
expected from semi-desert type habitats around the Yellow River basin
(Zhengzhou- Nanyan area). This region lies approximately 1200km
latitudinally west of Miyazaki prefecture in Japan where Shrike 2 was
recorded.

The hybridization issue is a complex one. Nial Moores and Jochen Roeder`s
reports in Korea`s Birds Korea site are recommended reading.

Unfortunately, Shrikes 1 and 2 seem to no longer be present at the Miyazaki
sites they were found at, and these birds were not studied in the hand.
However, hopefully this report will generate some interest in the occurrence
of Isabelline Shrike in the Eastern Palearctic. This report was compiled by
Akiyo Nakamichi and Fergus Crystal, with photos kindly submitted by
 S&Y  Hisanaga , S.Tokorozaki , S.Ueno and A.Nakamichi. Please email  
For correspondence about this site.

Fergus Crystal
Feb 6th 2005


Bibliography

Bragin Y , Rare Shrike in the Naurzum Area ( Alomaty, 2000)
Flint V, Birds of the USSR
Gavrilov E, Birds of Kazakhstan ( 1999, English transulation in litt )
Moores N, Hybrid shrikes in Central Asia (Birds Korea )
Roeder J, Hybrid Shrikes: yet more reasons for a cautionary approach (Birds Korea )
Small, Brian J, The new taxonomy of the Isabelline Shrike complex with notes
on racial identification
Worfolk T Dutch Birding 22 (6), 2000 " Identification of red-backed, isabelline and brown shrikes " Dutch Birding

Other Links
Birds of Kolkata ( India ) from    see Rufous-tailed Shrike photo
www.delhibird.org/species/sp05504.htm photos of isabellinus, phoenicuroides and arenarius
WWF China ; see cristatus 1st year to compare with shrike 2


Okinawa individual Recent photo Jan 2005
Okinawa individual of Feb 2003 ____ 1 ___ 2


Shrike Links

Other Shrikes Record of Southern Kyushu

Bull-headed Shrike : Lanius bucephalus
Chinese Grey Shrike : Lanius sphenocercus
Long-tailed Shrike : Lanius schach
Red-backed Shrike : Lanius collurio ( Dec 2000 - May 2001 , Miyazaki prefecture )
Brown Shrike : Lanius cristaus
Tiger Shrike : Lanius tigrinus

Shrike and Rare subspecies images from my friend
Pygmy Woodpecker of Iriomote Island ( possible D.k.orii )

Brown Shrike : L..c.lucionensis of Yonagunijima

Birds Record of Kagoshima Prefecture

Report : Fergus Crystal
Photo/Images : S&Y Hisanaga , S.Tokorozaki, S.Ueno, A.Nakamichi
Web Master : Akiyo Nakamichi