
OBJECTIVES
This privately funded project is concerned with:
- The migration patterns and routes used by long-distance migratory shrike species along the African-Eurasian Flyway
- The winter ecology and distribution of these shrikes, with particular a focus on birds wintering in the Southern Africa sub region
The species targeted by this project are:
- Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio); and
- Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor)
Project lead: Lyndon Roberts (UK) email: lyndon.roberts@virginmedia.com
More details…
The project commenced in November 2023 and is expected to run for at least 5 years.
Participants are asked to fit engraved colour Darvic rings to the tarsi of target species according to a Ringing & Recording Protocol which will be provided when colour rings are despatched.

The colour rings will be provided free of charge, including P&P.

The colour scheme used by this project has been approved by Safring and Euring (cr-birding.org). The colour rings are the correct size for these species.
Latest news – to date (Feb 2025), 686 engraved colour rings have been despatched to researchers in Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, South Africa, Denmark, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel & Saudi Arabia,
USEFUL LINKS
Shrikeology Google Group
Advances in Shrikeology: the 4th International Shrike Symposium, Chemnitz, Germany, August 17th–18th, 2003 by Reuven Yosef, Fred E Lohrer and Pietr Tryjanowski
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2989/00306520609485541
ISWG International Shrike Working Group’s scientific contributions
Global Shrike Conservation by Dries Van Nieuwenhuyse (1999)
https://aves.natagora.be/fileadmin/Aves/Bulletins/Articles/36_1-3/36_1-3_193.pdf
The latest, definitive book on the Laniidae is:
Shrikes of the World (2nd edition): by Norbert Lefranc (Author) & Tim Worfolk (Illustrator)

Preview this book on Amazon [HERE]
… And finally, see below for some very interesting and informative papers published by Ursula Bryson:
- Red-backed Shrike https://nje.org.na/index.php/nje/article/view/volume7-bryson/79
- Lesser Grey Shrike https://nje.org.na/index.php/nje/article/view/volume9-bryson/113




