Long-Tailed Shrike

Despite the differences between the nine subspecies, all have a long, narrow black tail, a black mask and forehead, a rufous rump and flanks and a small white patch on the shoulder. The eastern or Himalayan subspecies tricolor is sometimes called the black-headed shrike (Wikipedia, general species account). It forms a superspecies with the grey-backed shrike of the Tibetan Plateau. The species name imitates its call, and the genus name is Latin for butcher (Wikipedia, general species account). (Wikipedia, general species account).

The long-tailed shrike, or rufous-backed shrike, is widely distributed across Asia, with variation in plumage across its range. They are found widely distributed across Asia and there are variations in plumage across the range. The erythronotus group have a grey head which continues into the back with a gradual suffusion of rufous. Subspecies longicaudatus has a greyer crown and is found in Thailand and Burma. The nominate subspecies is found in China from the Yangtze valley south to Hainan and Taiwan. (Wikipedia, general species account).