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Shrikes & Larks
Red-backed Shrike
Red-backed Shrike
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually.
Male with brown back, pinkish white underparts and a bluish grey head with a black eye mask. Female more dull with barred underparts. Juvenile like female, but upperparts also barred. Tail brown with white edges in all plumages. Females and juveniles easily confused with the Brown Shrike & Woodchat Shrike. Differs from those in white sides of tail, barred rump, mantle and scapulars, scaly underparts and dark or yellowish base of bill (not pink).
Diet
The Red-backed Shrike forages in habitats where large insects, small reptiles and rodents are abundant. Its diet includes mainly insects, and various other invertebrates. Small mammals (voles), birds and reptiles are taken too.
Longevity record
10 years 1 month (Found dead in Hungary, 156914)
Kaċċamendula Ħamra
Lanius collurio
Passeriformes
Laniidae
Very scarce
Usually seen in
August - October
Occasionally seen in
April - May, July, November
Click on the image to open slideshow
1/0
Length (cm):
Weight (g):
16 - 18
25 - 35
Lesser Grey Shrike
Lesser Grey Shrike
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually.
In all plumages told from Great Grey Shrike by very long primary projection, stout bill, large rectangular wing patch and extended white at base of tail. Tertials without white edge. Adult birds with black forehead (more extended in male and often speckled grey in female), and a pink wash to underparts (especially male). Immatures lack the black forehead and wing coverts have pale fringes.
Diet
The Lesser Grey Shrike hunts from a strategic post, wire or branch and primarily feeds on insects which it catches in the air or on the ground. The diet includes beetles, moths and butterflies, large flies, grasshoppers, crickets and millipedes. Some fruits such as cherries and figs are eaten to a limited extent.
Longevity record
6 years (Slovakia, Z 740717)
Kaċċamendula Griża
Lanius minor
Passeriformes
Laniidae
Rare
Usually seen in
August - September
Occasionally seen in
February - June, October - November
Click on the image to open slideshow
1/0
Length (cm):
Weight (g):
19 - 21
41 - 50
Great Grey Shrike
Great Grey Shrike
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually.
Light grey upperparts, black wings and tail with white patches, white underparts and throat. Broad, black eyestripe not reaching above highest point of bill. Bill long and medium heavy (not as heavy as in Lesser Grey Shrike). White patch at base of primaries varies according to subspecies. Black part of tail most narrow at base. Juveniles less pure in colour, with faintly barred underparts and buff fringes to greater coverts.
Diet
Eats mostly insects when available, especially beetles, grasshoppers, flies, and caterpillars, also spiders, snails, earthworms, and other invertebrates. Food is often stored in a 'larder' by impaling it on a thorn! Especially in fall and winter, eats a wide variety of berries, fruits, and seeds.
Longevity record
8 years 2 months (Finland, A-409668)
Kaċċamendula Griża Kbira
Lanius excubitor
Passeriformes
Laniidae
Rare
Usually seen in
August - September
Occasionally seen in
-
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1/1
Length (cm):
Weight (g):
22 - 26
56 - 80
Woodchat Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually but multiple individuals can be seen simultaneously.
Adults easily recognized by rufous cap, black back, white scapular patches and white rump. Appears more compact and bigger headed than Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrike. White spot at base of bill larger in female than in male. Immatures told from Red-backed Shrike by whitish scapulars, greyer upperparts, diffuse patch at base of primaries, pale rump and dark brown tail. Subspecies L. s. badius lacks primary patch. More skulking than many shrikes. Likes high viewpoints.
The most common type in Malta is the senator nominate, however the badius nominate occurs as well.
Diet
Eats mostly insects when available, especially beetles, grasshoppers, flies, and caterpillars, also spiders, snails, earthworms, and other invertebrates.
Longevity record
5 years 8 months (Found dead by a train hit in Germany, 7367101)
Usually seen in
March - May, August - October
Occasionally seen in
February, June
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ssp.badius
Note the absence or virtual absence of visible white at the base of the primaries in the closed wing. On the closed wing of 60-70% of adults, both male and female, white is absent; on the remaining 30-40% it is restricted to a small spot on the bases of the inner primaries.
ssp. senator
ssp.badius
Note the absence or virtual absence of visible white at the base of the primaries in the closed wing. On the closed wing of 60-70% of adults, both male and female, white is absent; on the remaining 30-40% it is restricted to a small spot on the bases of the inner primaries.
1/30
Length (cm):
Weight (g):
17 - 19
29 - 37
Calandra
Calandra Lark
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually.
Large, fairly characteristic lark. Wings blackish underneath with conspicuous white trailing edge, obvious in flight. Outer tail-feathers white. Perched birds easiest identified by large black breast patch (though variable in size and shape), and very deep bill. Broad, buff supercilium and eye-ring. Leaves a robust and compact impression, with its broad wings, short tail and heavy bill. Stance usually upright when perched. Flight undulating, but less hesitant than Skylark.
Diet
Its diet is seasonal, feeding mostly on insects in the summers and seeds and grass shoots in the winter.
Longevity record
5-10 years
Usually seen in
-
Occasionally seen in
March - April, September - December
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1/0
Length (cm):
Weight (g):
17.5 - 20
53 - 70
Greater short-toed lark
Greater Short-toed Lark
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually or in pairs. It is an annual local breeder.
Small, compact lark with finch-like bill. 30% smaller than Skylark. Primaries almost completely covered by tertiaries, as opposed to Lesser Short-toed Lark. Upperparts typical lark-like, while underparts are almost unstreaked. Most individuals shows small, black shoulder patch. Bill deep, but pointed. Base colour variable, but western birds usually warmer brown than eastern. Lacks crest. Crown is rather flat (often rufous) and head squarish. Tail black with buff centre and pure white outer feathers. Flight moderately undulating.
Diet
Its diet is seasonal, feeding mostly on insects in the summers and seeds and grass shoots in the winter.
Longevity record
5-10 years
Usually seen in
March - September
Occasionally seen in
October
Click on the image to open slideshow
18-04-19
1/14
Length (cm):
Weight (g):
14 - 16
16 - 25
woodlark
Woodlark
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen individually or in small groups. Can gather together with Skylarks.
Bill finer than Skylark. Strong white supercilium reaching the neck. Distinctly streaked nape. Wings rounded, and with white edged primary coverts, but no white trailing edge as opposed to Skylark. Tail short and square with white trailing edge. Differs from skylark in posture and behaviour, and appears more erect when perched. Undecisive, bat-like flight.
Diet
As with many of the birds in the lark family, the Woodlark is primarily vegetarian as an adult but during the breeding season will also eat medium-sized insects. The diet is mainly composed of seeds and such insects as beetles, flies and moths.
Longevity record
5 years 0 months (UK, VC 1823-)
Usually seen in
October - November
Occasionally seen in
March - April, September, December
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1/0
Length (cm):
Weight (g):
13.5 - 15
23 - 35
Skylark
Eurasian Skylark
Maltese name/s
Scientific binomen
Order
Family
Sighting occurrence
Info*
Usually seen in small groups or in larger flocks.
Short foldable crest. Pale eye-ring and supercilium. Long primary projection (primaries extend well beyond tertials), white trailing edge to wing and white outer tail feathers. Tail much longer than in Wood Lark.
Skylarks nest on the ground, in vegetation which is 20–50 cm high. This vegetation must be open enough to give the birds easy access to the ground.
DietAdults feed on leaves and seeds of crops and weeds. Their strong association with weedy stubbles in winter shows the importance of seeds and weed leaves.
Longevity record
10 years 0 months (Found dead in the Check Republic, M 107989)
Ċuqlajta
Alauda arvensis
Passeriformes
Alaudidae
Fairly common
Usually seen in
October - November
Occasionally seen in
September, December - May
Click on the image to open slideshow
1/9
Length (cm):
Weight (g):
16 - 18
33 - 45
*Some information was sourced from ''BirdID Nord University''.
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