?The Great Grey Shrike or Lanius excubitor is a striking predatory songbird known for its pearly grey plumage, black eye-mask, and distinctive habit of impaling prey on thorns or barbed wireâa behaviour that has earned it the nickname butcher bird. In southern Spain, particularly in the La Lantejuela Nature Reserve, it is most likely observed as a winter visitor or passage migrant, favouring open grasslands with scattered shrubs or trees that offer elevated perches for hunting. Although it does not breed in this region, its presence adds to the biodiversity of the reserve, making it a notable species for birdwatchers during the cooler months.
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