bay backed shrike

It is smallish shrike at 17 cm, maroon-brown above with a pale rump and long black tail with white edges. The underparts are white, but with buff flanks. The crown and nape are grey, with a typical shrike black bandit mask through the eye. There is a small white wing patch, and the bill and legs are dark grey.

Pen dry scrub, and bushes in cultivation. It is a widespread resident breeder in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and India, and has recently been recorded from Sri Lanka. It nests in bushes in scrubby areas and cultivation, laying 3-5 eggs.

Bay-backed Shrike has a characteristic upright "shrike" attitude perched on a bush, from which it sallies after lizards, large insects, small birds and rodents.
Prey may be impaled upon a sharp point, such as a thorn. Thus secured they can be ripped with the strong hooked bill, but its feet are not suited for tearing.

Song is a pleasant, rambling warble with much mimicry; call is a harsh churring.

The bay-backed shrike (Lanius vittatus) is a member of the bird family Laniidae the shrikes resident in South Asia. Widespread resident: unrecorded in the northeast and Sri Lanka. Adult has black forhead pale grey crown and nape deep maroon mantle whitish rump and white patch at base of primaries. Juvenile told from juvenile Long-tailed Shrike by smaller size and shorter tail more uniform greyish.buffish base colour to upperparts pale rump and more intricately patterned wing-coverts are prominently tipped with buff. First-year like washed-out version of adult lacks black forehead.