Grey-backed Shrike

The grey-backed shrike is a long-tailed shrike 21–25cm long and 39–54g. It breeds at high elevations in forest clearings, plateau plains and mountain meadows dotted with small trees or fairly large bushes, to at least 4,500m in Nepal. One subspecies breeds from north Kashmir east to central India and south-west China. Juveniles are browner above than adults, with a less marked brown facial mask and heavily barred upperparts and underparts (Wikipedia, general species account).

In India it nests between June and July, and in south China between April and August, mainly May to June. The call is rough and breathing-like, the territorial call a harsh 'zzert-zzert', and the repertoire includes a repeated 'ktcht-ktcht-ktcht' at dusk or as an alarm (Wikipedia, general species account).