Long-tailed Shrike: Is this the ultimate prize for UK twitchers? This fierce, predatory songbird is native to South and Central Asia, making it a legendary "mega" vagrant with just one official sightings in British history.
When one of these rare visitors accidentally lands on our shores, it triggers a massive nationwide "twitch" as hundreds of enthusiasts rush to catch a glimpse of a true once-in-a-generation spectacle.
The first record of this species in the UK was in November 2000, when a first-winter bird was discovered at Howmore on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides. It was officially accepted onto Category A of the British List by the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) in 2004.
Often nicknamed "butcherbirds," shrikes are fierce apex predators among small birds. They hunt from high, exposed perches like telephone wires or bushes, gliding down swiftly to catch insects, small mammals, lizards, and other birds on the ground. They are famous for their unique habit of impaling uneaten prey on thorns or barbed wire fences to store it for later consumption.
