Mountain Shrike Lanius validirostris Scientific name definitions

20–22·5 cm; 34–44·9 g. A medium-sized to large shrike with longish tail and relatively strong and heavy bill. Nominate race has thin black band above bill extending into black facial mask through lores and eye to rear of ear-coverts, narrow whitish super­cilium (often short and barely notice­able); crown, nape and mantle to uppertail-coverts dark grey, rump and uppertail-coverts sometimes with rufous tinge; upperwing uniform dark brown with paler fringes, tail dark brown; chin, throat and breast white, breast sometimes faintly rufous tinged, rest of underparts whitish or greyish-white, rufous-brown on flanks and undertail-coverts; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Sexes alike in plumage, female slightly smaller than male. Juvenile/immature has facial mask blackish-brown and reduced in extent, wing and tail similar to adult, crown and upperparts greyish-brown or brown with dark barring, underparts greyish-white with rufous flanks, side of breast and breast, and vermiculated dark, bill grey-brown with dark horn-coloured base of lower mandible. Race tertius is smaller than nominate, with pale rusty wash on breast and belly, deeper rufous on flanks and undertail-coverts; hachisuka is intermediate in size between other two races, richer rusty and rufous below than previous.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Clearings within and edges of tropical montane oak (Quercus) and pine (Pinus) forest, open secondary growth and woodland, and grassland with shrubs; 1200–2400 m.

No information. Possibly resident, with some local altitudinal movements.

Arthropods, mostly insects; beetles (Coleoptera) probably important in diet, and thick bill possibly adapted for cracking extremely hard-bodied beetles. Occurs singly or in pairs, fairly conspicuous; behaviour said to be same as that of L. bucephalus. Hunts by perching upright on exposed perch on top of bush or tree, from where it dives down on to prey; probably also hops on ground. No other information available.

Song like that of a sylviid warbler, incorporating high-pitched whistles. Call a series of harsh, loud “piaaoo” or “chaaoo” whistles, repeated two times per second for period of 4–5 seconds; abrupt, harsh “chrr-chrr-chrr” alarm.

Birds with enlarged gonads in Feb, Mar, May and Jun, and pair feeding juveniles in mid-May. Probably monogamous and territorial. No further information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restrictedrange species: present in Mindoro EBA, in Luzon EBA, and in Mindanao and the Eastern Visayas EBA. Generally considered uncommon throughout its small range, but now appears fairly common in upland habitat that is not under pressure from humans. Although this species’ area of occurrence is small, its habitat is apparently secure and it is present throughout this habitat. Species requires basic biological research and population surveys. Probably not at any immediate risk.