fneil

I had special dispensation to visit Mai Po on a Saturday and the afternoon turned out to be one of the best of the year.  This shrike turned up in the mid-afternoon and I assumed Dusky Shrike but I haven't seen one with this coloration before. Is it a Dusky?  Neil.

Mai Po Nature Reserve,
Hong Kong,China

09/12/06

Nikon 8400 plus Swarovski STS80HD scope and Sw 30x eyepiece and DCA adapter.

ajohn

This is a hybrid between a 'typical' long-tailed shrike and the 'dusky' morph of long-tailed shrike.

Most birds resemble one form or the other and it seems to be unusual to get a bird like this that clearly shows intermediate characteristics.

lmichael

I think that this individual is just a normal morph LT Shrike that has become contaminated by oil or something similar - look at state of tail, matted undertail coverts and vent and state of flight feathers.

That said, whilst most individuals are either normal or melanistic (Dusky) I have seen intermediate birds on many occasions.