Listen to the Magpie shrike
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Magpie shrike
The Magpie shrike is a bird in the family Laniidae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”.
What does the Magpie shrike sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as urolestes melanoleucus. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The magpie shrike (Urolestes melanoleucus), also known as the African long-tailed shrike, is a species of bird in the family Laniidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Urolestes. It is native to the grasslands of eastern and southeastern Africa, where its natural habitats are dry savannah, moist savannah, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It has a very wide range and is common in places, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
More from the family Laniidae
Frequently asked questions
What does a Magpie shrike sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the Magpie shrike on this page, including its urolestes melanoleucus. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the Magpie shrike endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Magpie shrike as “least concern”.
What family does the Magpie shrike belong to?
The Magpie shrike (Urolestes melanoleucus) belongs to the family Laniidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- Urolestes melanoleucus, roepe langs R628 naby Kloppersbos, Gauteng, a by JMK – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Urolestes melanoleucus by Lütgens, Hans (collector) – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1086560 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Magpie shrike – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by New Jersey Birds – CC BY-SA 2.0